Second Chance at Family
by cabbitqueen
Summary: Discontinued. Slightly AU. A freak chakra explosion causes Sasuke and Itachi to lose most of their memories and turns Sasuke into a 5 year old. HinaxItachi, slight HinaxGaa
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Do NOT own Characters!**

_BOOM!_

"I will avenge our clan!" Sasuke yelled as he dashed at Itachi.

"Foolish Brother," Itachi said as he counterattacked.

_CLASH!_

The two brothers collided and a burst of chakra exploded around them.

As the dust settled, the bodies of the two brothers could be seen, both of them knocked unconscious.

Arriving at the scene with the ANBU, Tsunade's brow twitched. Both brothers were there and alive, but Sasuke looked…smaller…

Ordering the ANBU to bring the brothers back to Kohona she sighed. They would have to wait till the brothers woke up to find out what happened.

- - - - -

"You know your mission right?" Tsunade said to the lavender eyed girl.

"Yes Hokage." Hinata replied.

"They are in the hospital, be sure to report to me if you notice anything strange…well stranger then who things are now."

"Yes Hokage." Hinata said as she bowed and left the office.

Tsunade sighed. It was all too weird. A freak chakra explosion caused both brothers to lose most of their memories AND for Sasuke to be turning to a 5 year old. Upon waking up at the hospital, it became clear that Sasuke thought Itachi was his father, and Itachi was quite certain he was Sasuke's father.

"Maybe it's for the best," Tsunade said as she found a sake bottle. "They can both start over, if this is permanent." She just needed to make sure. So she sent Hinata to observe them as well as care for their injuries since both brothers refused to stay in the hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

FYI: 

Itachi: age 25

Hinata: age 20

Sasuke: Age 5 ;p

- - - - -

"Aww! He's so cute!"

"His hair is so soft!"

"I just want to squeeze him!"

Sasuke looked at the occupants of his room with saucer wide eyes. After waking up in a strange white room, with bandages on his left arm and on his head, the poor boy could never get a moment alone as nurse after nurse came into his room cooing and squealing over how cute and adorable he was. He wished his father was here to shoo them away.

- - -

Itachi groaned. He was still being forced to stay in the hospital. Ok, so his head hurt a lot and he had a few burns on his body. He couldn't believe he had been so careless as to have an explosion go off near his son. Speaking of his son, it was about time that his son made his daily attempt to escape his room. Not that he blamed the poor boy; it was hard being surrounded by all those annoying women. But that was the price one had to pay as an Uchiha. At least the nurses were too worried about annoying Itachi to bother him much.

"Sasuke-kun! Please come back to your room!" Itachi heard the nurses yelling in the halls. Ah, right on time. It was good training for his son to escape the crazy women. Hopefully he'll be able to stay out of their grasps longer then last time. Closing his eyes he decided to rest a little. He was told he had some memory loss, though so far he didn't seem have trouble remembering anything as far as he could tell.

Entering the hospital, Hinata was greeted to a scene of slight chaos as the nurses were frantically trying to find Sasuke. Sighing she activated her Byakugan to search for her missing charge. Making note that her other charge, Itachi, seemed to be fine sitting in his room. Finding Sasuke hiding near a water fountain, Hinata quickly made her way there. She was still a bit nervous about this mission. True, she wanted to have more responsibility to make her father proud, but dealing with two missing nins was more then what she was expecting, even if they had lost their memory and thought they had always been in Kohona. It was more of a babysitting job really, treat their wounds, check up on them, and see if they remember anything else. Nothing her father would really be proud of. Though Hinata doubted she could ever make her father proud. He had hardly said a word of praise when she made Jonin.

Nearing the water fountain Hinata stifled a giggle. She still was amazed that Sasuke became a 5 year old. And he was adorable. He was concentrating so hard at not being caught, and looked so serious!

"Ano, Sasuke-chan," Hinata said softly.

Sasuke jumped at the voice. How did someone find him so soon! Turning to the voice he saw it wasn't a nurse. Pouting he looked at her and said," I'm not little!"

Giggling Hinata said, "Of course, I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. Would you like to see your father with me?"

Raising an eyebrow Sasuke looked at the woman more closely. She looked nice, though her eyes were kind of creepy, all blank and no pupil. He was used to his dad's red sharingan eyes, but he didn't like the lavender eyes.

"My dad is ANBU." Sasuke said to see her reaction.

Smiling Hinata said, "I know. If you come with me to your father I'm sure he'll be less scary."

Sasuke nodded. His father could be really scary if he was in a bad mood, and hospitals made Itachi in a very bad mood. Picking up the small boy, Hinata appeared outside of Itachi's room with Sasuke.

Knocking on the door, Hinata spoke, "Itachi-san, may I please come in?"

Itachi looked to his closed door. He could sense Sasuke, but he couldn't recognize the other person. She definitely wasn't a nurse. He wondered how she found Sasuke so fast. "Enter."

Setting Sasuke down, Hinata closed the door behind her as looked at Itachi.

Frowning Itachi examined Hinata. 'A Hyuga. That explains how she found Sasuke so fast. But who is she? I didn't know of any Jonin rank Hyugas.'

"I have been ordered to treat your wounds and Sasuke's wounds." She said.

"And why can't the nurses treat us?" Itachi asked with an uninterested look on his face.

"Because you are being dismissed from the hospital, but only on the condition that I treat your wounds at your home." She said as a slight blush tinged her cheeks. Drat her blush! She had been able to correct most of her nervous habits, but her blush was one thing that she could hardly keep down.

Itachi was very surprised at this news. He had never heard of a Hyuga that was also a medic nin. It was almost treasonous to think since the Hyuga were so set to tradition. And tradition said the Hyuga were not medics!

"I see. So we can leave now?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. I can take Sasuke to his room and get his things while you get ready." Hinata said as she walked out of the room.

"Sasuke you stay." Itachi ordered. Looking to his son he said, "You were found too fast."

A look of disappointment crossed Sasuke's face. "But," Itachi continued, "It wasn't bad for being against a Hyuga. Do better next time."

Sasuke beamed at the slight compliment. "Hai!"

- - - - -

**A.N.**

Itachi doesn't notice his memory loss much with regards to the village, because he never cared for the happenings much to begin with and of course he would think that his memory loss is why he doesn't know much about the village and Hyugas now, but it's actually because he wasn't in the village when he was a missing nin.

That came out more confusing then I wanted I think…


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke sat in his living room on the couch watching the two adults that were currently engaged in a staring contest.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Too bad."

"No."

It had been going on for almost half an hour. Sasuke couldn't understand why his father was being so hard. He must be in a bad mood again. Swinging his legs Sasuke looked at Hinata who looked rather annoyed. She seemed nice. She changed his bandages, and didn't make scary sounds like the nurses at the hospital did. He didn't know why his dad refused to have Hinata change his bandages too. Maybe his dad was scared she would squeal like the nurses did. Sasuke was about to tell his dad not to be afraid, but then thought better of it. His dad looked really, really, angry right now.

Hinata sighed. Why was he being so difficult? She couldn't leave till she changed his bandages and it seemed he didn't want her there.

"I can't leave till I change them." She said in the hopes he would let her. She didn't want to use force.

"I'll change them myself. Just leave." Itachi said. She was really irritating him. He wasn't a baby; he could take care of himself. He was also annoyed that he had been trying to activate his sharingan for the past half hour but got nothing but more head pain.

"I can't do that. If you won't let me I'll have to force you to let me." Hinata said, slightly nervous. She wasn't sure how she a Jonin could make an ANBU submit.

Itachi slightly raised his eyebrow. The girl had guts, but she would be no match. "Try it," He challenged. Standing up Hinata moved in to attack. At the same moment a flash of pain seared through Itachi's head stunning him for an instant. It was all Hinata needed to strike his shoulders, thighs and the back of his neck, rendering him temporarily immobile. Realizing his pain as soon as she struck him she turned concerned eyes to him and asked, "Are you okay? Is it your head?"

Glaring at the girl, Itachi muttered, "I'm fine. Do your job."

Sasuke sat amazed as Hinata changed Itachi's bandages. She beat his dad! That was impossible! His dad was the best.

Activating her Byakugan, Hinata examined Itachi's charka flow. It seemed to be stressed out and exausted, he probably tried to use his sharingan and caused the head pain. Sighing in relief she de-activated it, convinced Itachi's chakra would be fine with rest and he would regain movement in a few hours.

Watching the girl with slight interest in her bloodline limit Itachi wondered how much she could see with her eyes. He couldn't remember seeing the Byakugan much so knew little about its full potential. At least he would be able to observe it a little with her as their at home caretaker.

GRUMBLE

Itachi and Hinata looked at Sasuke who was holding his stomach.

"I'm hungry." He told his father. Itachi tested his limbs. No response. "You'll have to wait a few hours till I can make you dinner." Itachi said. Sasuke pouted and curled up on the couch. He was really hungry, but he wasn't allowed to make his own food. A slight whimper escape his mouth as he thought of yummy food that was so far off.

Hinata felt guilty looking at Sasuke. It was sort of her fault that he would have to wait so long for dinner. And hating to see any child hungry she spoke up, "If you want I can cook dinner for you. I am supposed to make sure you are alright here and you are in no condition to cook."

Itachi was about to refuse her and make her leave, but looking at his hungry son he knew he needed to eat. "Just don't make a mess in the kitchen." He said closing his eyes.

Curious eyes followed Hinata to the kitchen. Checking all the cupboards and drawers, Hinata was relieved to see the Hokage was prudent enough to stock the house as if they had always lived there. Sasuke watched as Hinata pulled a light blue apron out of a closet and put it on. Sasuke felt strange seeing a woman cooking in the kitchen. It didn't seem right. He didn't know why it bothered him, but he felt like he had seen something like this before and for some reason it made him sad.

Humming a tune Hinata set to work, prepping vegetables and seasoning the meat. Cooking was one of the things she truly enjoyed doing and was something she was rather proud of. Spying Sasuke in the corner she smile and said, "Do you want to help me Sasuke-kun?" Nodding, Sasuke timidly walked over to the smiling woman. "Let's put a towel on you so we don't mess your clothes," she said as she tied a white dish towel around his waist like an apron. Giving a feeble grin Sasuke looked at his make shift apron. Pulling a stool out so he could stand next to her Hinata had Sasuke hand her the vegetables to be chopped. "You're so helpful, Sasuke-kun," she said as he handed her a carrot. Grinning at the compliment Sasuke decided it was okay that Hinata was in the kitchen, especially since the food smelled really good. He was sure he could get used to it.

Opening his eyes at the smell of food being placed near him, Itachi opened his eyes to see Sasuke sitting on the couch with a plate hungrily digging into his meal. Turning his head he saw Hinata sitting to his side with a plate of food and a clean fork in her hand.

"You probably still can't move your arms, so I can feed you or you can eat later." She said, with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Itachi's eyebrow twitched as he said, "I'll eat later," indignant at the thought of being fed like a little kid. Placing the plate of food in front of Itachi, Hinata moved to sit next to Sasuke, who had bits of food all around his face. Taking a napkin, Hinata wiped of Sasuke's face, who looked confused as she cleaned him off. Blushing slightly sasuke went back to eating his food, which was very yummy. He was proud he had helped make such good food, even if Hinata did most of the work.

Watching the interaction between Hinata and his son, Itachi glared at the Hyuga. 'She's getting to comfortable.' He thought. Worried at how close Sasuke was getting to her. He didn't want to deal with Sasuke's disappointment when the woman's job was over and she wasn't required to be there. She may be having fun now, but she would get sick of caring for someone else's child and leave, leaving Sasuke hurt.

"If you're done, leave." He said sharply. Looking up surprised Hinata said, "Are you sure? I can stay till you can move again."

"No, just go now." Itachi said irritated.

Sasuke looked at his plate. So dad didn't like her, but she was so nice, and she smiled a lot at him. Sasuke wanted her to stay longer.

Slowly nodding, Hinata had a look of concern on her face. "Alright, but I'll leave my number. Call me if you need anything. I'll be back in the morning to change your bandages again and check your wounds," she said as she scribbled her number on a piece of paper. Smiling at Sasuke she gathered her things. "I'll see you tomorrow Sasuke-kun."

"Hai." Sasuke said with a faint smile as he watched the Hyuga leave the house.

Watching the door close, Itachi spoke, "Sasuke. Don't depend on women. They'll only hurt us."

Uncertain of what his father meant, Sasuke only nodded. 


	4. Chapter 4

Placing the key the Hokage had given her into the lock, Hinata opened the door to the Uchiha residence. Careful not to make a sound she balanced the bags she had with her in one arm as she closed the door behind her. Glancing at the clock on the wall she sighed. 4am. It was very early in the morning. As a Jonin she was used to getting up earlier for missions, though she did love sleeping in, especially in her nice comfy and warm bed. Unfortunately, she had remembered that Sakura had said Sasuke used to like to wake up very early to train, causing the pink haired girl to wake up at almost 3am to find out where he was training to watch him from the shadows. Hinata hoped Itachi wasn't the same, but she wanted to make sure that he wouldn't run out to train before she changed his bandages and checked his chakra flow. 

Setting her bags down filled with supplies she would need throughout the day, Hianta paused as she saw a plate of uneaten food on the living room table. 'That was the plate Itachi was supposed to eat,' she thought. Sighing, Hinata activated her Byakugan to check the rooms. Checking Itachi's room first she was relieved he was sound asleep in bed. Turning her attention to Sasuke's room she frowned. The boy was asleep, but his fitful tossing around meant he was having a nightmare. Deactivating her Byakugan, Hinata headed to the little boy's room.

_Sasuke ran down the empty streets. Something was wrong, it was too quiet. Stepping in a puddle he looked down and was horrified to see he was standing in blood. Horrified Sasuke turned to run away however as he turned around he saw two bodies lying on the ground. A strange curiosity took over Sasuke's body as he walked over to the bodies. They seemed so familiar, but as he came closer he froze. The bodies had no faces. Screaming out in terror Sasuke saw a pair of blood red eyes staring at him._

Waking up with a start Sasuke shook from his terrifying dream. Gasping for air, he realized a pair of warm arms was wrapped around him and a soothing voice was saying, "It's alright, it was just a nightmare," as a hand stroked his head. Relaxing, Sasuke looked up and saw a pair on lavender eyes looking at him with concern.

"Did you have a bad dream Sasuke-kun?" She asked as she looked at his face.

Scooting closer to Hinata, Sasuke nodded. Hinata frowned. She knew from Sakura and Ino that Sasuke used to have nightmares about the massacre. Patting his head she asked, "Do you remember what it was about?"

Thinking, Sasuke shook his head no. He couldn't remember it, but he knew it was scary. Afraid to go back to sleep, he nuzzled into Hinata. Hinata blushed as Sasuke smushed himself into her body. She had always remembered him as such a cold person, it was strange to see him so clingy and needing comfort. Eyes softening, she held him close. She knew he never really had a mother for most of his life so he probably wanted some motherly care. Checking his clock she saw it was still only 5am. She could try to make him go back to sleep, or let him stay up. Looking at the boy she saw his eyes were fully alert and he was wide awake. Smiling she whispered in his ear, "Do you want to help me make breakfast?"

Looking at the woman holding him, Sasuke hesitated in answering. Dad didn't like her, so she must be a bad person. But she was so nice and warm. Maybe dad was wrong? But his dad was never wrong. Not wanting to make his dad mad, but wanting to be near Hinata, Sasuke gave a timid nod. Smiling, Hinata stood up and said, "Alright Sasuke-kun, get changed and meet me in the kitchen." Pausing at the door she whispered, "And be quiet so we don't wake up your father," before walking out of the room.

Checking Itachi's room once more before heading to the kitchen, Hinata was happy to see the older man still fast asleep. 'His body must be exhausted,' she thought 'his charka was so low yesterday.'

Going to the living room first to grab some items out of one of her bags, Hinata entered the kitchen and put on her lilac colored apron that she brought with her. Putting the other items on the counter she saw Sasuke entering the kitchen. Grabbing another dish towel she tied it around his waist and got the stool out for him.

Waking up to the wonderful smells of food and coffee, Itachi opened his eyes and checked his clock. 7am. Sniffing the air again he frowned. He wasn't in the kitchen making breakfast, so why did it smell like someone was cooking in his kitchen. Rolling out of bed he walked to Sasuke's room to find it empty. Raising an eyebrow, he turned his head to the kitchen. Sasuke may be a bright kid (not as bright as Itachi was of course), but he definitely wasn't capable of making food that smelled this good.

Nearing the kitchen Itachi paused. There were sounds of humming. No Uchiha hummed. Listening closer, Itachi's brow furrowed. It was the Hyuga. Entering the kitchen he saw the pot of coffee, a coffee cake cooling on a rack, bacon frying in a pan, and Hinata making omelets. Looking at Sasuke, he saw his some buttering the toast and looking very content as he helped the Hyuga cook.

"Did the Hokage order you to cook for us as well?" He coldly asked.

Startled, Hinata slightly jumped. "Um no, but I thought you might be too tired to cook breakfast, so I came early. I'll change your bandages after you eat."

Raising an eyebrow Itachi looked at the girl as he grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee. 'She's odd. She may be Jonin, but she has an odd way of doing missions.' He thought not understanding why she was getting so involved.

"What time did you get here? And how did you get in?" He asked after he took a sip of the coffee.

"Um the Hokage gave me a key, and I came at 4am." Hinata said as she flipped the omelet over.

Itachi stared at the girl. 4am? She was really strange. She was either taking this mission too seriously, or there was something wrong with her head.

Placing the omelet on a platter, Hinata finally turned to look at Itachi and gasped. Trying to avert her eyes, Hinata couldn't suppress the blush that crept across her face as her eyes strayed to Itachi's well defined abs and toned upper body. Noticing the Hyuga's sudden discomfort Itachi looked down. Oh. He was only wearing sweatpants. "Fine." He muttered as he put his mug of coffee down and headed to his bedroom to get a shirt.

Placing the plate of omelet on the table, Hinata turned to help Sasuke bring the toast to the table. Sitting next to Sasuke, Hinata placed some omelet, bacon and a piece of toast on his plate. Frowning, Sasuke looked at the coffee cake that was covered with crumbly sugar and cinnamon. Smiling, Hinata said, "You can have a piece after you eat what's on your plate."

Pouting Sasuke looked at the egg creation and made a face. He didn't like eggs. But he wanted to eat that yummy looking cake. He wondered if Hinata would let him eat some cake without having to eat the slimy eggs. Munching on his toast, Sasuke watched his father (who had unfortuantely put on a black t-shirt to cover his toned torso) take a seat at the table and pile bacon and omelet onto his plate. Grabbing a few pieces of toast, Itachi hungrily dug in. Last night he had been too angry at the Hyuga to eat her food, but right now he didn't care. He just wanted to fill his belly.

Anxiously, Hinata watched as Itachi shoved a forkful of omelet into his mouth. Itachi's eyes widen (by less then a millimeter, but they did widen!). The omelet was light, fluffy, not too sweet, and not at all slimy like how his eggs usually came out. Hell, Sasuke might even be able to eat the eggs if they were like this. Sasuke watched with intereset as his dad piled more of the omelet onto his place and ate. Curious about the eggs that his dad seemed to really like, Sasuke slowly picked up a forkful and slowly brought it to his mouth. Taking a small nibble of the omelet, Sasuke was surprised that so far, the eggs weren't bad. Putting the rest of the forkful into his mouth Sasuke chewed slowly. They weren't slimy! They were okay; he would prefer to eat the cake, but these eggs he could tolerate, especially if he got cake for it. Itachi watched as Sasuke experimented with the omelet and was surprised to see his son willingly eating the eggs.

Reassured by the fact both males were eating the food; Hinata took a piece of toast for herself to eat. Glancing at the Hyuga as he took a sip of his coffee, Itachi thought that maybe she wouldn't be so bad. Though he would have to prepare Sasuke for the disappointment of her leaving once her mission was over, but if she could get Sasuke to eat all the foods he hated, then maybe it would be worth the hassle later.


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata smiled as she changed Sasuke's bandages. He was so different from how she remembered him; it was if he was a new person that had a new chance at life. She hoped he wouldn't grow up to be as cold and angry as before. Waiting for his turn, Itachi watched as the Hyuga grinned to herself. He had never seen a Jonin act as foolish as this one. Was she really of Jonin rank? He made a mental note to investigate this further. It seemed his mind was missing a lot of information if he could not recall a fool like this passing the Jonin exam.

Frowning, Sasuke watched Hinata. He felt that something was wrong. Putting his young brain to work, he tried to think of what was missing. Then it hit him. Looking at his father he asked, "Where's mommy? Is Hinata-san mommy?"

Hinata and Itachi froze at the words. Frowning Itachi, racked his mind. He could not remember Sasuke's mother. He could not remember anyone of his family except Sasuke. Nervously, Hinata asked, "Do you remember mommy?"

With a thoughtful look Sasuke replied, "Alittle bit. She was really warm like Hinata-san is. Does that mean Hinata-san's mommy?"

Hinata blushed. Poking her fingers together she slightly panicked. Should she tell him his mother was dead? What if he asked how? She didn't want to trigger bad memories. And considering his nightmare this morning she wanted to proceed with caution. "What else do you remember Sasuke-kun?"

"Ano…she had a nice smile…and she cooked yummy food…and, and, she had dark hair…I think…" Sasuke trailed off as he tried to remember more.

'She can't be,' Itachi thought. 'She's too young…though she does fit what Sasuke described. And she does seem to have motherly qualities. Besides…she's not my type...I don't think.' To be honest, Itachi could not seem to remember ever having romantic notions about anyone, though he must have if he was Sasuke's father. Irritated, he looked at Hinata who was chewing her lip. 'She knows something,' he thought as he narrowed his eyes.

Hinata really wanted to ask the Hokage for advice on how to proceed with this, but if she up and left that would be very bad, and she hadn't changed Itachi's bandages yet. Deciding the truth would be the safer course she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, but I'm not your mother," she said. Disappointed, Sasuke asked, "Where is mommy then?" Itachi was also interested in this information, so he focused on Hinata's face to see if she would lie to them since it seemed the Hyuga was reluctant to tell them.

Patting Sasuke's head, Hinata barely whispered out, "She's dead."

- - - - -

**A.N**

I'm sorry this is so short!

I need to take sometime to decide where I want to go with this story so this will be on the back burner for a few weeks as I let ideas simmer in my mind. It would be a shame to lets this story flop around with no direction.


	6. Chapter 6

_Mission Report:_

_Uchiha Sasuke-_

_Physical wounds have all healed. Nightmares persist, though he has no recollection of what they are about. No sign of former memories resurfacing. Continues to question about his mother. Truly believes Itachi is his father._

_Uchiha Itachi-_

_Physical wounds have all healed. Seems to have headaches frequently, particularly when using the Sharingan. Has no recollection of former memories. Has immersed himself in the events of Kohona for the past few years to fill in his gaps. Truly believes Sasuke is his son._

Tsunade read and reread the mission report given to her by Hinata. This wasn't good. The fact Sasuke had nightmares and Itachi had headaches worried her that they would eventually regain their memories. She just did not know when. And Itachi has been on her case to go back on ANBU missions. Tsunade groaned. She knew she couldn't deny him forever. But it was too risky to allow him to go while he was still unstable. And with both of their physical wounds healed she didn't have a good reason to send Hinata over all the time anymore.

"Oi! Tsunade-baasan!" Naruto loudly burst into her office.

Tsunade groaned again. She was going to have a rather bad headache. She began to rummage for a sake bottle. "What is it Naruto."

"Gaara said he wanted to come to Kohona for a vacation! Can I approve it?" he asked excitedly.

"I guess, let me see the details." Tsunade said reluctantly. She was tired, but she didn't want to offend the Kazekage either. Just a few more years of training and Naruto would be able to take over as Hokage, she though happily as she skimmed the details.

"Naruto, this is saying he wants you and Hinata to be his guards while he is here. That's not enough for a Kage." Tsunade said. Kids could be so troublesome.

"Yea, well, yanno, he's a kage…and I'm a kage in training…and Hinata's a jonin too. And yanno Gaara doesn't like too many people. But he's one of my best friends and he seems to like Hinata a lot too since she's always so nice to him. So, I, uh kinda told him he could come here and I'd make sure he had fun!"

Tsunade sighed. Naruto and his big mouth. She couldn't deny this request and it was true that Gaara and Naruto could take care of any problems, and Hinata would make sure they didn't cause too much trouble. But she needed Hinata to still observe Itachi and Sasuke.

Tsunade suddenly had a brilliant idea that would take care of most of her problems. "Okay, Naruto, you can approve this, but Uchiha Itachi has to be assigned to it as well. Its customary for ANBU to guard a kage."

Naruto frowned. "Gaara won't like that. He doesn't like new people. And honestly, I think he wanted some 'alone' time with Hinata. Yanno." Naruto said winking at Tsunade.

Tsunade massaged the bridge of her nose. "Yes NAruto, I know. We all know. And we all know it can't work out between the two of them. He HAS to stay there and she HAS to stay here. Those are the rules."

"Yea, I know." Naruto said solemnly. "But they are my friends. I want them to be happy."

"You need to understand this to be a kage, Naruto." Tsunade said sternly.

"I know. I don't have to like it though." Naruto said. "Anyway I'll go tell Hinata and Itachi that Gaara is coming tomorrow!" Naruto dashed out of the office before Tsunade could dismiss him. Despite his maturation, he was still a bit hyper. At least he knew when to be serious, Tsunade thought.

- - -

Itachi poured over various scrolls all filled with events of the last few years. There was so much he just did not remember. He was shocked to discover that the feeble Hinata was actually the Hyuga heiress, or that the loud mouth Kyubi vessel was in training to be the next Hokage. Or that the crazy Gaara of the Sand was the Kazekage. There were also many Jonin and ANBU that he had no idea what their abilities were or when they actually became Jonin. Itachi sighed. There was just so much information that he was missing. And the Hokage wasn't assigning him any missions, much to his annoyance.

"What is it Sasuke." Itachi asked without even looking up from the scroll he was reading. Slowly walking closer to his father, Sasuke frowned. "Where is Hinata?"

Itachi glanced up from his scroll. "Her mission was to care for our wounds. Our wounds have healed." Itachi watched as Sasuke's expression fell. 'I knew she would hurt him. He got too attached.' Itachi thought. Not that he blamed Sasuke. Hinata really did act a lot like a mother to him while she was here, which bothered Itachi more since he still could not remember Sasuke's mother, nor could he find and record of her.

"So if I get hurt again, Hinata will come back?" Sasuke asked.

Itachi's eyes widened. "No. Don't you dare do that. She won't come back if you get hurt." Itachi said, slightly unsettled by Sasuke's thought.

Sasuke frowned. He wanted Hinata to come back. He just needed to find out how to get her back.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Oi! Is anyone home?" A very loud voice called from outside.

"Sasuke, answer the door." Itachi said as he rolled up the scrolls on the table. Opening the door, Sasuke couldn't help but cringe at the foxy faced blond that was grinning at him. "Heya, Sasuke-chan! Is you're dad home? I've got a mission for him!" Sasuke nodded as he stepped aside to let the blond in, the blond was a bit too forward for Sasuke's liking. Naruto was thrilled to see his friend and former rival looking so little. He couldn't help but grin at the small boy.

"Hello, Uzamaki-san." Itachi said. He still could not believe that this loud mouth was supposed to be the next Hokage.

"Heya Itachi! We got a mission tomorrow to guard the Kazekage!"

Itachi quirked an eyebrow, finally a mission. Simple guard duty, but a kage was high profile. "Who else is with us?" Itachi asked, wanted to get all the details.

"Huuu, You, me, oh and Hinata-chan!" Naruto said happily.

Hinata? She wasn't ANBU. And Itachi couldn't help but notice the familiar way Naruta called the Hyuga heiress. "Isn't Hyuga-san a bit low ranked for this job?" He asked.

"Hm Hinata-chan? Nah! Besides, Gaara requested her specifically. Anyway I gotta go tell Hinata-chan and get some dinner! I'll see you tomorrow! Here's the scroll with the details!" Naruto said as he tossed Itachi the scroll and dashed off to the Hyuga compound.

'She's worthy enough to be requested by a kage?' Itachi thought as he read through the mission scroll. 'How interesting.'

Sasuke had been discreetly eavesdropping on the conversation. He wasn't sure what a gaara was, but all he knew was dad was working with Hinata! Maybe she would stop by again. Smiling a little at the though Sasuke walked to the kitchen to look at the lavender apron Hinata had left last time she was there.

- - - - -

**A.N.**

Updates will be coming on this...slowly, but I am working on it! Thank you for your patience.


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N.**

**Eek! Sorry for the OOC!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you still like it.**

- - - - -

"Hinata-sama. This mission scroll was just dropped off for you."

Hinata paused from her weeding. She had been so busy watching the Uchihas she had slightly neglected her small garden. "Thank you Neji-nisan. You can just leave it there; I'll look at it after."

"Naruto said it would concern the Kazekage." Neji said as he placed the scroll on the ground. Turning around he slowly walked back to the manor, a slight smile on his lips as he heard the heiress snatch the scroll off the ground. 'Poor Hinata-sama.' Neji thought, knowing that his younger cousin and the Kazekage shared feelings for each other, but also knew that they could never be together. Neji almost wished Hinata still had her crush on Naruto. At least she would have been allowed to be with him, especially since he was now training to become the next Hokage. But over the years, Hinata had grown and matured, and her childhood crush had become a dear and close friend. His cousin gave happiness to everyone she could, she deserved to have some as well.

Excitedly, Hinata unraveled the scroll to read about her mission, guarding the Kazekage during his visit to Kohona. Hinata gave a faint smile. Gaara had requested her. She knew he did. Only ANBU guarded Kages, unless the Kage requested someone else. Hinata's heart fluttered. She would be near Gaara. She knew she shouldn't want him, that it would only break her heart in the end, but they were drawn to each other, they understood each other. Sighing, Hinata read the rest of the scroll. She was surprised to see Itachi on the mission as well. Tsunade must still want her to observe them.

Shaking her head, Hinata gathered her gardening tools. Her garden would have to wait a little longer. She wanted to get ready for her mission tomorrow. After all it had been awhile since she could see Gaara. She wanted to look nice for him.

- - -

Checking her clock, Hinata saw it was 5am. Gaara would be arriving in 30 minutes. Since he rarely slept he traveled quickly. Arriving at the gate she saw Naruto and Itachi already there.

"Good morning Naruto-kun, Itachi-san." She greeted.

"Hiya Hinata-chan!" Naruto waved. "Man, why does Gaara arrive so early? I wanted to sleep longer!"

Itachi watched the two with little interest. He was actually rather looking forward to seeing the Kazekage, the strongest Sand nin.

"Oh, Itachi-san, how is Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked, trying to draw the Uchiha into the conversation.

"Hn. Iruka-sensi has agreed to watch him for a bit and take him to the academy. Sasuke's old enough to enroll there anyway."

A gust of wind and sand interrupted the group.

"Mah! Gaara! Why do you have to do that! I have sand in my eye!" Naruto whined.

Standing before the three, Gaara had a bored expression as he observed Naruto coughing and rubbing sand out of his eyes. One wouldn't know it, but Gaara enjoyed teasing his friend.

Stepping forward, Itachi introduced himself. "Kazekage-sama, Uchiha Itachi reporting for duty. I will ensure your safety while in Kohona."

If Gaara was surprised, he did not show it as he glanced at the Uchiha. Turning his attention back to Naruto he spoke. "I did not ask for an Uchiha. You said only you and Hinata."

"Mah! Gomen, Gomen!" Naruto apologized. "But Tsunade said you had to have ANBU while you were here. But you can just pretend he's not there!"

Blinking as if to show his approval of that, Gaara spoke, "Uchiha, I do not want to sense your presence then."

Annoyed at the slight, Itachi bowed and disappeared as he moved farther from the group, able to watch the Kazekage, but not annoy Gaara.

Finally turning his attention to Hinata, Gaara gave a faint smile. "Hinata. I am hungry."

Blushing, Hinata nodded as the group took off to get some breakfast.

- - -

Itachi thought he had been seeing things when he first saw the Kazekage smile at the Hyuga. After all, his recollection as well as all the reports he had read stated the Kazekage was void of all emotions. Then who was this person claiming to be the Kazekage, who was sneaking sand into Naruto's food andgiving faint smiles to the Hyuga heiress? When Itachi saw Gaara place his hand over Hinata's he knew. The Kazekage had a thing for the Hyuga. But why? And how? True, she came from a powerful family, but politically they would both know they could never be together. It must be a pure affection. The Hyuga was soft spoken, and kind, especially to children, And she did cook well, and she wasn't bad looking, she just didn't dress her self up much. Though Itachi was a bit surprised this morning when he noticed she was wearing a pale lipgloss. But she was also shy, and seemed rather weak. Itachi couldn't see how a strong, hard, and dangerous shinobi could be attracted to a weak, soft, and innocent kuniochi.

Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi saw the group leave the restaurant and head towards the training grounds. Following them he saw that Naruto had separated from the other two. Puzzled, Itachi moved within hearing range of the Kazekage and the Hyuga.

"Why did you dismiss Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"I needed to tell you something." Gaara slowly said. "Come." He motioned for the woman to sit next to him. Blushing, Hinata sat down, but was startled when his arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her close.

"G-Gaara…" she whispered as she reveled in his warmth.

"Do you know how long," He huskily said in her ear. "How long I've wanted to hold you in my arms."

"Gaara!" Hinata breathed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. It was breaking her heart to be close to him like this. It was giving her false hope, but she could not bring herself to pull away.

Cupping her face he lifter her head to gaze into her pale tearful eyes. "You are dear to me, Hinata. I…" he paused as he kissed her forehead, "I will always…"

"Please! Please don't say it Gaara." Hinata gasped. She knew what would happen if he said it. She knew she would never see him again. Shaking, she fought to hold back the tears that spilled down her cheeks.

"Shh…" Gaara soothed. "I don't have much time here." He said as he stroked her back.

Sniffling, Hinata nodded. She needed to treasure this moment.

"Hinata," he slowly said as his face drew close to hers. "I will always love you." He breathed out as he captured her lips with his. Crying, Hinata clung to him, savoring their first and last kiss.

Pulling away, a single tear escaped from Gaara's eye. Disappearing in a gust of wind and sand, he whispered, "Sayonara."

A knot formed in Itachi's gut as he watched the heiress weep on the ground, uncertain if he should follow the Kazekage or not. He had not expected the relationship between the two to be so deep. Deciding to give the Hyuga privacy, he followed the Kazekage.

Stopping near a waterfall Gaara clutched his head as his heart painfully squeezed.

"Did you tell her goodbye?" Naruto sadly asked from a nearby tree.

"Yeah." Gaara replied, his voice filled with sorrow.

"Did you tell her why?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow.

Lowering his eyes to eth ground, Gaara said nothing.

"I see." Naruto frowned. "She'll find out soon enough anyway. News like this will get around fast."

Turning to leave, Gaara paused. "Watch over her. I want her to be happy." He said as he started back to Suna.

Watching his friend leave, Naruto muttered, "She would have been happy with you."

Turning to go check on Hinata, Naruto was startled to se Itachi standing behind him.

"Gyah! Oh um hey Itachi…um, mission is over. Gaara went back to Suna." Naruto said as he tried to get around the Uchiha.

"What was that all about?" Itachi suddenly said.

Naruto froze. "You heard it all then, huh?" Sighing Naruto looked up to the sky. "You'll find out soon enough."


	8. Chapter 8

Itachi frowned as he read over the scroll in his hand. It had been a week since his mission to guard the Kazekage and a week since he witnessed that intimate event between the Hyuga heiress and the Kazekage. Now he understood the reason for that scene. Glancing back at the scroll, he couldn't refuse it. It would reflect poorly on the Uchiha clan. Though honestly he didn't want to go, these kinds of events weren't interesting for him. Plus he would have to bring Sasuke. Hearing his son enter the house, Itachi called him into the living room.

"Sasuke. Pack you bags. We have been invited to the week long celebration of the Kazekage's marriage to his first wife."

Sasuke blinked. Ususally his dad asked about his shuriken training. This Kazekage person must be really important. Sasuke frowned slightly; he would miss a week at the academy. Although that meant a week away from all the annoying girls there too, maybe it wasn't so bad to go away for a week.

- - - - -

"Hinata-sama, will you go?" Neji asked with concern. He had been worried for his cousin. She had not been herself since a week ago when she saw Gaara. Now he understood why. He must have broken her heart. It angered Neji, though he knew there was nothing anyone could have done about it. It was a political marriage, and Neji was quite certain it hurt Gaara as much as it hurt Hinata.

Sniffling, Hinata responded, "Yes, Neji-nisan. I'm the heiress; it wouldn't look good if I didn't go." Sighing, Hinata tried to conceal her emotions as she put on a weak smile. "Besides, I'm sure the celebration will be wonderful. And I haven't had a vacation in awhile." Wiping her eyes, she shyly looked at her cousin, "Ano, Neji-nisan…you'll come with me right?"

With soft eyes, Neji smiled. "Of course, Hinata-sama, I'm your bodyguard, I go wherever you do." Turning to leave, Neji paused. "We leave tomorrow with the others who have been invited."

"Others?" Hinata blinked.

"Hai, Hinata-sama. The Uchiha clan has been invited, as well as The Hokage, though I assume Naruto will be her representative since it is difficult for Tsunade to leave."

- - - - -

Before dawn a group gathered at the gates of Konoha.

Yawning, Naruto exclaimed "Man, why do we have to leave so early!"

Smiling, Hinata replied, "It's a long trip to Suna, Naruto-kun. We don't want to be late."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Naruto said as he climbed into the carriage that would take them to Suna.

"Ano, we still have to wait for Uchiha-san." Hinata replied.

"We're here. Let's go." Itachi suddenly said as he appeared carrying his sleeping son.

"Ah, good morning Itachi-san." Hinata bowed to the older man.

"Hyuga-sama, Hyuga-san, Uzamaki-san." Itachi nodded to his traveling companions.

"Shall we go Hinata-sama?" Neji asked as he offered his hand to help Hinata into the carriage. Glancing back at Konoha, Hinata nodded as she took Neji's hand.

Inside the carriage it was a bit cramped, it was made to sit four, but was accommodating five. Sasuke, although small, still took up some room.

Naruto looked at Sasuke, slightly puzzled. It was unusual for children to go to this kind of event. Noticing Naruto's confusion, Itachi spoke up. "It will be good for Sasuke to experience other cultures."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.

After several minutes of silence in the carriage, Naruto decided to initate some conversation, since he never did like silence, unlike the rest of the carriage occupants.

"So, uh, anyone know who the bride is?" Naruto asked, since it was the first thing that popped into his head. However, a glare from Neji and a glance at Hinata told Naruto that was not the best question to ask. Itachi closed his eyes, hoping that if the blond thought he was asleep then he wouldn't bother him with questions.

"Sorry, Hinata." Naruto apologized as he looked at his feet.

"It's alright Naruto-kun." she offered a weak smile. "I'm sure it's a Suna citizen. The first wife usually is."

"First wife?" Naruto looked up confused.

"Ah, yes. Suna permits polygamy. The first wife is usually from Suna so the heirs will belong to Suna. Subsequent wives generally come from other countries for politics, though any children go back to that country." Hinata explained.

"Ohhh…" Naruto exclaimed, as he understood the situation. He never did understand why Hinata and Gaara couldn't be together. But this made sense. The Hyuga would not permit Hinata's husband to have multiple wives, but to marry Gaara, she would not only be one of his many wives, but she wouldn't even be his first wife. 'Stupid traditions.' Naruto thought. Glancing at Itachi, and satisfied that he seemed asleep, Naruto turned to his dear friend. "Hey Hinata-chan...Are you okay with all this?"

Neji gave a warning frown to Naruto not wanting his cousin to get upset. Pacifying Neji with a pat on the shoulder, Hinata gave a wistful sigh. "I will be Naruto-kun. We both knew we couldn't be together. Though he will always be dear to me, as you and Neji are."

With a mischievous grin Naruto asked, "Hey Hinata-chan, remember how you and Gaara met?"

An embarrassed blush streaked across her face as she lightly scolded, "Naruto-kun!"

"Hehe, I couldn't believe that you did that to him! I mean quiet, shy Hinata-chan beating the crap outta Gaara was hilarious!"

Itach, though seemingly asleep, was listening intently to the conversation. His ear piqued at mention of the heiress attacking the Kazekage. 'Maybe she is stronger then she seems.' She had been able to temporarily disable him, though at the time Itachi assumed it was due to his pain and slower reflexes.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed. It was so embarrassing to remember that incident. "I was just having a bad day!"

"No kidding! All Gaara did was buy the last chocolate chip cookie from the bakery and you went berserk on him! I mean you closed all his chakra points in his arms…just for a cookie!" Naruto laughed. "Yanno, you never did tell me why you were in such a bad mood to begin with."

Hinata flushed a full crimson at that. It was a personal feminine nature why she just had to have chocolate that day, and there happened to be none in the compound, though after that incident Neji made sure to keep the compound well stocked. Of course she didn't tell anyone why. Neji was insightful enough to know, but Naruto would never understand. Sensing his cousin's embarrassment, Neji warned, "Naruto, if you continue teasing my cousin I will practice all my new techniques on you."

Naruto grimaced. Neji could be one sick guy. Remembering the last time he trained with Neji, Naruto shuddered. He wasn't able to walk for a week since Neji beat him up so much. All because Naruto said Neji would look pretty dressed as a girl.

Itachi was intrigued. The Hyuga were strong. And he was surprised to learn the heiress had managed to land a hit on the Kazekage, since he had a wall of sand to protect him. He wondered who would be stronger, a Hyuga or Uchiha.

A small whimper caught the attention of all the adults in the carriage. Sasuke was still asleep, though he seemed to be having another nightmare.

Itachi frowned. Sasuke had nightmares almost every night, but he never could remember what they were about when he woke up. Itachi didn't like his son being so weak minded to be plagued by nightmares.

Hinata frowned. She had been so caught up in her personal life that she had neglected to check in on Sasuke and Itachi to see if they were doing alright. She was worried about Sasuke. She had hoped his nightmares would stop, but it seemed that she was wrong. Moving closer to the sleeping boy, Hinata tried to soothe him.

The three men looked at the two with great interest. Naruto hated to see his best friend in pain, but having never been comforted as a child he didn't know what to do. Plus he was still uneasy being around the child that was his best friend.

Neji was secretly relieved that Sasuke was with them. The child would distract Hinata from her heartbreak of Gaara's marriage. Though he still held his reservations for the Uchihas, fearing they would regain their memories and harm Hinata, Neji made sure to always be close to her.

Itachi watched carefully, not wanting his son to be hurt by the woman. Although Hinata was doing a good job at soothing the boy, Itachi still distrusted her. True she looked motherly, but it had to be fake. He was sure it was due to her orders to care for them; he couldn't believe that she would willingly act like this normally. However, looking at her care for his son caused a slight stirring in his gut. He was still frustrated he could not remember Sasuke's mother and his lover, but something told him, she would have been similar to Hinata.

Sasuke began to stir. It felt warm and comforting. He remembered waking up like this once. Blinking his eyes, he saw a blurry image of a person. She smelled like flowers and her voice was soft. Moving closer to her, he whispered, "Okaasan…" 


	9. Chapter 9

Sasuke happily sat on Hinata's lap as he peered out of the carriage window. He was a bit confused when he woke up, but upon seeing Hinata's face he immediately perked up. He had missed her and she hadn't stopped by recently. Glancing up at the woman who was holding him, a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. 'Hinata-san is really nice and warm. And she smells really good.' He thought as he nuzzled closer to her. 

A deep blush stained Hinata's cheeks as the young boy squirmed in her lap. It felt strange, holding Sasuke, but it made her feel a bit at ease. And he really was adorable. A pang of guilt hit her though as his eyes glanced up at her face with a questioning look.

"Hinata-san? Can we, um, cook again?" He shyly asked, hoping she would say yes. He had never gotten as much praise then when he cooked with her, other then the coos from the girls at school, but that was meaningless praise. With Hinata he felt like he truly deserved her small compliments when he helped her.

With soft eyes, Hinata smiled at the boy. "Of course, Sasuke-kun. I'm sorry we haven't cooked recently together. Can you forgive me?"

With a smile Sasuke nodded as he turned to look out the window again. Quickly, Sasuke became bored with the drab scenery of the road and he turned his attention back to inside the carriage. His father appeared to be taking a nap, so Sasuke made sure not ot disturb him to much. The blond man from before was there too. He stared at Sasuke a lot, which made Sasuke a bit nervous. Occasionally the blond man would break out into a huge grin, which confused Sasuke, but he didn't want to get the man upset so he said nothing.

There was another person next to Hinata, whom Sasuke had never met before. Curious eyes would dart to said person, as if wanting to know who it was, but not having enough courage to speak. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke looked at Hinata. He couldn't be shy. Uchihas weren't shy! "Ano, Hinata-san, who is the person next to you?" He cautiously asked.

Smiling, Hinata replied, "That is my cousin and bodyguard Neji. Would you like me to introduce you?"

Wordlessly, Sasuke nodded.

"Neji-nisan, I would like you to meet Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke, this is my cousin Hyuga Neji." Hinata giggled.

Trying to appear less stern, Neji nodded at Sasuke. "A pleasure to meet you Sasuke-kun." He said as he extended his hand to the boy.

Shaking the hand, Sasuke turned to Hinata. "Ano, why is his hair so long?"

"It is Hyuga tradition, Sasuke-kun." Neji interrupted. "Different clans have different traditions. You will have to learn about all of them."

Embarrassed, Sasuke flushed. "Ah, gomen, Neji-san." Sheepishly Sasuke looked at the stern man. "You must be really strong if you guard Hinata-san. Hinata-san is really strong too." He said.

"All Hyuga are strong. It is their destiny to be." Neji stated which caused a slight frown to appear on Hinata's face.

Thinking about those words, Sasuke glanced at his sleeping father. "But my father is really strong because he is Uchiha. Are all Uchiha destined to be strong? Will I be strong?"

Choosing his words carefully Neji spoke, "Uchiha choose their own destiny. You have that privilege."

"No." Itachi suddenly cut through. "My son is strong, and he will be the strongest."

Itachi had been listening to the conversation the whole time, yet pretended to be asleep so that annoying Naruto would leave him alone. However, he didn't know why, but the exchange between his son and the Hyuga greatly bothered him. Glaring at Neji and then at Hinata, Itachi motioned for Sasuke to sit beside him. Itachi knew he was missing information, but the way that Hyuga talked it was if he knew what Itachi did not.

Reluctantly, Sasuke left the warmth of Hinata as he sat beside his angry father. He didn't understand why his father didn't like the Hyuga.

Being unusually quiet, Naruto watched the scene before him. He felt a bit of jealously as Hinata held Sasuke as a mother would and he felt a bit of sadness at Itachi's cold words. Glancing at Hianta, Naruto saw she seemed a little saddened as well. She looked so happy though when she was holding Sasuke. Naruto knew Hinata would make a wonderful mother, if the Hyuga did not interfere too much.

A mischievous grin slowly crept along Naruto's face as he got an idea. Hinata was sad because of the wedding. Children made Hinata happy. Sasuke was now a child. And Sasuke didn't have a mother anymore. Although Naruto was a bit jealousof Sasuke, he wanted his friend to have what both had missed growing up, a loving mother. Now he just had to make sure grumpy Itachi didn't interfere. Easy way would be kill Itachi then Hinata could adopt Sasuke! But never being one for killing Naruto would just have to make sure Itachi didn't ban Hinata from Sasuke, which for the festival shouldn't be too hard. Naruto would need some help though. Neji might be willing to help, if he worded it right, though he knew Neji didn't trust the Uchiha much. And Gaara would be too busy with his wedding to help much.

"Naruto-kun, whatever you are planning stop it. Pranks would not be wise at this kind of event." Hinata's voice suddenly spoke up. She had been watching Naruto for the last few minutes, and the look in his eye she recognized as the gleam he got when he was making plans that would end horribly. Having been his friend for so long, she was able to quash most of his plans without too much trouble.

"Ehehehe, I'm not planning anything Hinata-chan! Honest!" Naruto quickly said. Darn it! He forgot she was in the carriage too!

Hinata narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Neji, make sure Naruto-kun doesn't cause a war between Suna and Konoha." She slyly said.

Itachi glanced at the kyubi vessel. He still didn't know why the familiar term with the Hyuga bothered him. Feeling a headache growing, Itachi closed his eyes to get some real rest for the time being.

"Mah! Hinata-chan! I'm not planning anything like that I swear!" Naruto protested.

Again, the familiar name, Itachi frowned as the pulsing in his skull grew. 'It must just be the brat's voice that irritates me.' Itachi reasoned.

"We should be arriving in Suna in an hour. So I suggest you calm down Naruto." Neji said as gave a knowing glance to the kyubi vessel. He had an idea of what Naruto was planning, and for once, he would go along with his scheme.

Glancing at his father to make sure he was asleep, Sasuke inched away and moved to Hinata's side again. Maybe his father would like Hinata more if he knew how nice she was.

- - - - -

**A.N.**

So I can either update this story again this week or update "Majoring in Life" twice. Which would you guys want to read more? Updates are scare this week due to the new year!


	10. Chapter 10

**I was bribed by Riiceballe to update this one! She gave me cookies…Internet cookies!!!!!!!! Yay!**

- - - - -

Sasuke glanced around this place call Suna. It was a little warm, but he stood in awe. He had never seen such a big sandbox in his whole life! His little body itched to play, but the urge quickly passed as he noticed a tall cloaked shinobi approaching the group.

"Welcome to Suna. I've been instructed to guide you to your quarters and show you around for the festival." The man said as he removed his clock to reveal a painted face and a black outfit.

"Hiya Kankuro!" Naruto eagerly said as he recognized the Kazakage's brother. "Can you show me where the best ramen place is? Can ya?"

Kankuro inwardly groaned. Did this guy ever calm down? True he was less annoying now then when he was younger, but Kankuro could only tolerate him in small, very small doses. He almost pitied the group that had to travel with the future hokage. Glancing at the Hyugas, Kankuro couldn't help but feel sorry for his brother. When he returned from Konoha a few weeks ago, he just sat in his room, not talking or eating or sleeping…which wasn't that unusual, but he seemed almost broken. The Hyuga heiress must be a very special person to affect Gaara so much. And then there was the last problem…the Uchihas. By nature, Suna was very distrusting and they did not welcome unstable "monsters" into their village, though Gaara had lived his whole life there. The council of Suna feared the Uchiha still, memories or not, the two were still very dangerous to keep around. The question had been, where were the Uchiha going to stay while they were in the village. Half of the council wanted to keep the Uchiha on the outskirts of the village, while the other half wanted to keep them close so they could monitor their every movement. In the end, it was decided to keep all the Konoha nin on the Kazekage estate since 2 of the guests were personal friends of Gaara, and the Konoha nin could keep the Uchiha in line should something occur.

"Naruto, you've been here enough to know where the raman stand is." Kankuro dryly said. "The festival starts tonight, and you will all be staying on the Kazekage estates. After I show you your quarters feel free to walk around or what ever you want." He said as he started to walk off.

"Ah, are we staying in the same rooms from our meeting here a few months ago?" Hinata quietly asked.

Pausing Kankuro thought back. "Um, yeah, just the Uchiha will be in one of the rooms there too."

Smiling Hinata turned to her cousin with big puppy eyes. "Well, then Neji-nisan…can you take the luggage? I want to explore the festival before it gets crowded…please." She begged like a little child.

Neji was about to refuse, it was the duty of the Heiress to be dignified, but she hadn't looked so excited in awhile he couldn't refuse her. "Fine Hinata-sama, however, do not stay out too late, you have your duties."

Pouncing on this opportunity, Naruto spoke, "Hey Itachi, how bout we let Sasuke go with Hinata-chan? He can have a little fun while we get settled in!"

Eyes flashed in annoyance, opening his mouth to speak, Itachi was cut off by Neji.

"Actually, Hinata would be able to explain Suna culture to him while they walk and he would be able to see more since its not so crowded right now." Neji said, knowing full well that Itachi was a strict man, and a strict man did not like the idea of 'fun.'

Taking a deep breath, Itachi said, "Fine." since he could find no fault with that reasoning, though he did not like his son clinging to that woman so much like a weakling. However, he did not wish to insult the Hyuga at the moment.

Naruto gave a knowing wink to Neji. Maybe this would be easier then he thought. Itachi frowned, seeing the obvious wink the Uzamaki sent to the Hyuga. They were up to something.

Neji cringed. Naruto still had no clue about subtlety. Taking Hinata's bags he quickly followed Kankuro so not to arouse any more suspicion from Itachi, as Hinata extended her hand to Sasuke.

"Would you like to join me, Sasuke-kun?" She said with a smile.

A faint blush tinted his cheeks as he nodded and took her hand. He liked Hinata-san.

- - - - -

"Gaara-sama, the Konoha nin have arrived." A messenger reported.

"Did she come?" Gaara asked without looking up from his paper work.

"Hai, Gaara-sama. She is with the Uchiha boy and walking about the village."

"Dismissed." Gaara ordered.

"Hai, Gaara-sama." The messenger bowed as he exited the office.

Pausing from his work, Gaara took a deep breath. 'Hinata…' He thought. He had hoped she would not come, he did not know how to face her now. Closing his eyes, he could picture her serene face, her warm smile, her pure heart.

His heart clenched. He knew he had made her cry. He was truly a monster for making her cry.

"Gaara-san? Are you alright?" A quiet voice asked.

Gaara frowned at that voice. It was her…his wife. He did not love her. He would never love her. She was not the one he loved.

"I've told you not to call me that." He sternly spoke. "You are my wife. I will not hurt you."

"Forgive me…Gaara." She said as she bowed. The man frightened her. He truly frightened her.

Sighing, he stood up. "You were chosen for obedience. Not for love. You knew that. I will not love you, nor do I expect love from you. Tolerance is all we will have for each other." He said as he walked to the woman. "All I want from you is obedience." He stared into her eyes. Fear. She feared him. It hurt him a little, to be married to one that feared him. He was certain all his wives would fear him. "Obey me, and no harm shall ever come to you." He coldly said as he walked past his wife.

He could only love himself, since he had no right to love her anymore.

Shaking, the woman collapsed to the ground as Gaara left his office. She believed he would not harm her if she obeyed him And she knew he would never love her. He was incapable of love. However, she had heard the rumors. Rumors that the Kazakage loved a kunoichi of Konoha. It had to be false, because the man she was married to had no love in his body. However, fear seized her again. What if? What if the rumors were true, and she could not do what a Konoha woman could do. What if his other wives could make him love them? Would she be killed in favor for another wife? Gaara's love was rare, but if it existed it guaranteed a long life, one she was not sure she would want as the wife of the Kazekage, but her fear had to make certain that no such woman existed that could bring out his love.

- - - - -

**A.N.**

**Yeah…there is an OC…sorry…I don't even know what to call her yet…but the only sand girl I know is Temari…and that would be so WRONG.**

**Anyway happy New Year! I'm out till next year!**


	11. Chapter 11

Sand...sand...and more sand...

Everywhere Sasuke looked he saw sand. Sand in the streets. Sand in the air. Sand in the buildings. And worst of all sand in his hair.

Scratching his itchy head he frowned. Why was there so much sand?

Looking around at the people of Suna he saw many of them wearing scarves on their heads. To keep the sand out of their hair most likely, he thought as he sulked next to Hinata. Sasuke decided he did not like sand.

Cool eyes watched her every move. Her graceful actions, her soft facial expressions. He could read them all.

Pain.

His heart clenched with pain as he watched her.

She could sense his eyes on her. His aura was so strong, she could always sense him. A faint blush crept up her cheeks and tears formed in her eyes as she recalled the last time they were together. His strong, warm embrace. His supple lips and the taste of his mouth. The scent of his hair and sound of his voice. She could remember it all clearly.

Sasuke glanced at Hinata. "Hinata-san?" He questioned as he saw her rub her eyes.

"Ah, gomen Sasuke-kun. I'm fine. I-I just got some sand in my eyes." She lied.

Sasuke frowned. He didn't like the sand. The sand made Hinata cry.

"See Sasuke-kun, I'm all right." She gave a faint smile to the boy.

"I don't like the sand, Hinata-san." He pouted.

"I see." She giggled. He could look so adorable. Glancing around, she spied a merchant stall. "Come with me Sasuke-kun. I want to buy you a present."

Sasuke's eyes lit up at the word present. Hinata was buying him a present?! People bought presents for those they liked! That meant Hinata liked him.

Approaching the stall, Hinata picked up a tan scarf with navy blue trim. "This," she said as she wrapped the scarf over Sasuke's hair, "will help keep the sand out."

Looking at a mirror, Sasuke grinned. It looked a little funny, but his head didn't itch as much. "Thank you, Hinata-san." He mumbled with a small blush on his cheeks. It was the first present he could remember ever getting.

Gaara frowned at the interaction between his Hinata and the Uchiha. He remembered the time he and the Uchiha had tried to kill each other. It was strange to see the same person who was not the same.

_His Hinata._

No. She was not his. She would never be his.

He should let her find happiness.

But the thought of her with any man made him growl in jealousy.

Yet, she looked so happy caring for the boy.

Leaving the two, Gaara returned to his office. As long as she was happy he would not interfere. But if the Uchiha, or any person harmed her, he would make them pay…

Hinata sensed Gaara's presence fade. He had left her again. She could not help it as he face fell slightly, which did not go unnoticed by Sasuke.

"Hinata-san?" he cautiously asked.

"Ah, Sorry, Sasuke-kun, it's nothing." Hinata forced a smile for the boy.

Grabbing on to the hem of Hinata's jacket, Sasuke blushed. Surprised by his action Hinata gazed at the boy.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hinata-san…I…I like…you…" he lowered his eyes as he trailed off. This was a lot harder to say then he thought!

Hinata blushed. This was unexpected. Here the heartthrob of Konoha was saying he liked her! Of course he wasn't the heartthrob anymore, but a little boy, but it was still surprising!

"Demo…" Sasuke continued, "Father…he doesn't like you...he would if he knew though…"

"Knew what Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked, curious to what the boy was saying.

"Ano…" Sasuke looked at Hinata and blushed, becoming more and more self-conscious to what he was saying…Hinata-san…she was kind…and warm…and comforting…

He couldn't say that!

"Um, nothing!" Sasuke squeaked out and darted his eyes to the ground. His tiny heart was beating madly in his chest. His father would be angry if he saw him like this! He needed to compose himself. Uchihas were always composed!

Hinata watched Sasuke, slightly bewildered. He was so very different from how she remembered him. 'This is how you should have been.' She thought as she watched him. 'I hope he stays this way.' She smiled wistfully at him. A second chance at childhood would have been nice, she contemplated as she remembered her own hard childhood.

"Sasuke-kun," she softly spoke, "Would you like to walk around somemore?"

Taking one last deep breath, Sasuke felt confident he was composed, despite the lingering blush on his face. Nodding to Hinata he walked next to the elegant woman.

Smiling, Hinata snatched his small hand into her own soft pale hand. Sasuke felt his face heat up. She…she was holding his hand! His father never held his hand. Glancing to Hinata's face, Sasuke had a faint smile. It felt nice to hold her hand. He felt like maybe she was protecting him…like a mother.

_Mother._

A flash of red appeared before Sasuke's eyes as the image of the faceless body crossed his mind.

_Mother?_

Was that his mother?

"_She died." _

Hinata said his mother had died…

Who was his mother?

- - -

Naruto looked about the room and grinned. "Hey, you got a nice room Itachi! Way bigger than mine! But you've got Sasuke too, so you guys need more space, eh?"

Itachi frowned. Why…why did Naruto insist on pestering him.

"Why don't you go see Hyuga-san." Itachi coldly said.

Naruto frowned. "Tch, just trying to be friendly..."

"Well go be friendly with Hyuga-san." Itachi cut in.

"Well, I would, but Neji's grumpy right now…" Naruto continued. He didn't see why Neji was so mad about that wink earlier. It's not like anyone else noticed it! Naruto was an amazing ninja after all! "And when he's grumpy he starts poking me and it really hurts! Have you ever been poked by a Hyuga?" Naruto asked. He had to keep Itachi in the room so he wouldn't go looking for Sasuke…but the guy was such a stiff…The jerk Neji…refused to talk to Itachi. Though Neji never really talked…so Naruto figured it wouldn't be good to have two un-talkative guys trying to talk to each other.

The mention of Hyuga techniques perked Itachi's interest. "What do you mean poked?" Itachi asked.

Naruto grin! Ah ha! Itachi was interested! Perfect! His plan 'Keep Itachi in the Room' was going to work!

"Ah, well ya know some Hyuga can see chakra points on people, Neji can anyway, and Hinata-chan can if she's really mad or something, but yeah! Chakra points, Neji can turn a person's on or of and stuff…it really hurts!" Naruto babbled hoping he was keeping Itachi interested.

"Why do you call her Hinata-chan?" Itachi asked, before he realized he was saying it.

"Eh?" Naruto looked at Itachi confused. "Cuz Hinata-chan is Hinata-chan…"

"But most people call her Hyuga-sama or along those lines." Itachi replied. He didn't know why he was getting so worked up over it. He shouldn't care what people called her.

"She's always been Hinata-chan. Anything else wouldn't suit her. She's too cute!" Naruto grinned.

"Cute?"

"Ya, don't ya think Hinata-chan is cute? Everyone thinks she's cute. I mean, she's not my type and all and she's one of my best friends, but she's definitely cute. And really nice too! She always made me medicine and stuff."

"The Hyuga heiress makes medicine?" Itachi questioned.

"Eh, yeah, her dad used to give her hell for it, but it really works! She used to give it to all of us when we were young. And she'd make us tea and snacks too! She's an awesome cook!"

"Yes she is." Itachi slipped out.

Realizing what he had just admitted Itachi stood up and glared at Naruto, the sharingan swirling his eyes to blood red. "This is absurd." Itachi muttered and walked out of his room.

Naruto gulped. He should try to get Itachi back. But he didn't want to get stuck in a genjutsu. And it still wasn't certain if Itachi could use all his abilities again. He didn't want to be the one to test it out.

"Neji is gonna be mad at me…" Naruto muttered as he braced himself for a severe poking.

"Naruto…where is Itachi…" Neji said from the doorway.

"Eh, um well you see…he um, left?" Naruto fumbled as he scratched the back of his head. "We, um, were just talking about Hinata-chan and then he got all annoyed and left!"

"I know. I was listening. It sounded like you were trying to set Itachi up with my cousin." Neji slowly said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Nononononono!" Naruto denied. "I would never suggest that! He just asked about her ya know!" Naruto gulped. He remembered the beating he got from Neji when he found out Naruto introduced Hinata and Gaara. Neji could be a teeny bit over protective of his cousin.

Neji frowned.

"I'm going to look for Hinata-sama and Sasuke-kun." Neji said. "You try to stop Itachi."

"But…but…"

"It should be easy for the next Hokage…right?" Neji smirked.

Naruto and Neji walked towards the exit, only to stop to see Itachi and a group of Sand nin.

"Ah hello Konoha nin. Welcome to Suna. I am the new wife of the Kazekage. It is an honor to have you all join our festival." A tall, tan, and sandy blond said. "I was just speaking with Uchiha-sama…and may I assume you to be the Hokage-sama's representative and Hyuga-sama?" she asked as she slightly bowed to Neji and Naruto.

"Eh! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Yeah Tsun…er the Hokage sent me as her representative. And this is Hyuga Neji." Naruto excitedly said.

Bowing, Neji spoke "I am Hyuga-sama's bodyguard. Hyuga-sama has decided to walk about your city before the festival. And your name is?"

"Oh, forgive me. I am now Sabaku Kiku." The woman said as she bowed. "Please call me Kiku."

"Then Kiku-sama, would you join me to meet with Hyuga-sama?" Neji asked. Their plan would have to wait since Gaara's wife had arrived.

"I would be honored." Kiku said. She had come to meet the Konoha nin to see if the rumors were true. If there was a woman in Konoha that Gaara loved, they could tell her about it.

- - - - -

**A.N.**

**Decided to name her Kiku…my translator tells me it means 'fear' which I thought was suiting.**

**good? no good?**


	12. Chapter 12

"So what's it like being married to Gaara?" Naruto unsympathetically asked the woman as the group walked through the streets of Suna. "If he's mean to ya, just tell me! I'll straighten him out for ya!"

Kiku gave a small smile. This man, Naruto was her husband's closest friend; this bright, friendly, and kind man was close friends with her cold, cruel, and frightening husband. She could not comprehend how such a relationship could have formed in the first place. Kiku, observed the other two men that her husband had invited. The Uchiha she was certain Gaara was not particularly fond of, and with all the rumors that swirled about the Uchiha, she did not want to get close to him either. The Hyuga, she was surprised to find that Gaara was on decent terms with the strict clan, but their stoic nature she supposed made them easy to tolerate for the Kazekage. Though she was not an accomplished kuniochi, she could clearly see how strong and powerful all three men were. 'Of course Gaara would keep powerful people close to him.' She bitterly thought.

She was unsure which Konoha nin she would try to interrogate. The Uchiha and Hyuga would be too tight lipped and she feared that Naruto would tell Gaara that she had been asking questions. She hoped Hyuga-sama would be more approachable.

Though, it surprised Kiku to find Hyuga-sama not with his bodyguard. What kind of person was Hyuga-sama, the head of one of the most powerful clans in Konoha?

Itachi glanced over the wife of the Kazekage. Plain. That was the only word to describe her. She was plain, she looked like the sand. He assumed she was not chosen to stand out, but to be hidden. He almost could pity her. Her life would be most unhappy. However, it was not of his concern. All he cared about at the moment was locating his son.

"A moment, Kiku-sama. I will locate Hyuga-sama for us." Neji said, stopping the group. Activating the Hyuga blood limit, he quickly scanned the streets for Hinata's chakra.

"They are two streets over, eating grilled squid." Neji said as he deactivated the Byakugan.

Arriving at the stall, Kiku was in shock! A woman and a boy? Was the boy Hyuga-sama? No, he did not have the eyes. A woman was Hyuga-sama? That was unexpected. Suna rarely had females that were clan leaders. And Kiku was not aware of many other females that had been invited to the festival from other nations.

"Hinata-sama, this is Kiku-sama, Gaara'a wife." Neji said, watching his cousin carefully for her reaction.

A split second widening of the eyes. Noticed only by Itachi and Neji.

"Kiku-sama, I am Hyuga Hinata, heiress of the Hyuga clan, it is a great honor to meet you." Hinata warmly said trying hard to suppress the tears that desperately wanted to fall. "Please call me Hinata."

"Thank you Hinata-sama, Suna welcomes you." Kiku said as she evaluated the woman. 'Soft spoken, her upbringing must have been strict. But she surely must be strong as well to be the heiress of Hyuga…Perhaps the heiress could provide the information…' Kiku thought.

A small movement caught Kiku's eye. Ah the boy. Kiku tried hard to suppress a squeal as she got a good look at the boy. He was so adorable!

"Kiku-sama, my son, Uchiha Sasuke." Itachi finally said once Kiku had composed her self. "Sasuke, greet the Kazekage's wife." He ordered.

Reluctantly, Sasuke slightly bowed to the strange lady, not wanting to anger his father.

A puff of sand blew by, causing Hinata and Sasuke to sneeze. At that Kiku came up with an idea to get Hinata alone to talk without seeming rude.

"Hinata-sama, I know you have your own private baths, but would you like to join me for an outdoor bath? Gaara has provided me with a large personal spring, but its too big for me to use alone. And it would be nice to spend some time with another female." Kiku said, with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Of course, Kiku-sama, I would be honored to join you." Hinata replied respectfully.

"Yeah! I'll go too!" Naruto chipped in, only to receive a harsh glare from Neji.

"Naruto, I'm sure you are quiet aware that Gaara would be displeased if another man saw his wife bathing…" Neji warned.

Gulping Naruto caught the implied threat from Neji as well, that no male was going to see Hinata bathe either.

"Sasuke, let us go." Itachi said, as he began to walk away. Pausing, he turned and bowed to Kiku, "Kiku-sama, it was an honor. I hope to see you again while we visit Suna." He said out of protocol. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable when the talk turned to bathing, as he felt his body slightly heat up. Unfortunately, as he turned his head to see if Sasuke was coming, he glanced at the quiet Hyuga. She was blushing. Feeling warmer, Itachi began to walk off; Sasuke was smart enough to follow on his own.

Sharp pale eyes watched the Uchiha leave, feeling quiet unsettled by the subtle glances the Uchiha had paid his sweet cousin.

- - -

"Kankuro. Where is she?" Gaara asked, annoyed she was not in her room, where she was supposed to be.

"Eh? Who? Kiku?" Kankuro asked a bit confused. He wasn't sure why Gaara never called his wife by her name.

"Yes. Where is she?"

"Eh, I think she went to go meet your Konoha friends and stuff." Kankuro tried to think.

"She…did what?" Gaara asked harshly. Sharply turning around, Gaara went to seek out his...wife.

'Obedient she is not today.' He darkly thought.

- - - - -

**A.N.**

**Oh my...what is going on...I'm trying to move the Itachi Hinata relationship forward...without making Itachi too OOC...is it going too slow?**


	13. Chapter 13

Naturally Hinata had mixed feelings with joining Kiku, Gaara's wife, for the evening, however her proper upbringing would not allow her to decline the invitation. So here she was, in the private bath of the Kazekage, waiting for Kiku to arrive with some refreshments. Looking around the bath, Hinata was surprised a bit by it. It was not overly large, but could easily accommodate 10 people. And while it feel like an outdoor bath, it was completely encased by glass, to protect it from the harsh sun and winds of Suna. Hinata signed. She should enjoy this moment of pleasure. Even in Konoha, she rarely was able to enjoy such a luxury as this, despite being the Hyuga heiress. Wrapping her towel tigher around her bare body, Hinata sat at the edge of the bath. Kiku should return soon.

Nervously, Kiku caried a tray of sake, water, and some dumplings for them to snack on while thy soaked in the hot water. The small talk she was able to start with the heiress as they walked to toward the bath showed that Hinata was a very shy and quiet girl. 'Someone that would have made a good wife for Gaara...' Kiku bitterly thought. Opening the gate for the bath, Kiku took a deep breath. She would not have many chances to speak with the Konoha kuniochi so she had to make sure to get as much information as possible.

- - -

Sasuke frowned. He had tried to follow his father, but he must have been in a really bad mood...he took off really fast! Sasuke's small legs could not keep up. Now he was stuck walking back with the weird blond guy who smiled too much, and the creepy guy that was Hinata's cousin or something...

"Ne, Sasuke-kun!" Naruto said with a large grin, "You like Hinata-chan right?"

Sasuke almost tripped as he tried to suppress a blush. How did he know about that!? Instead of answering him, Sasuke decided to just stare at the blond, maybe he wouldn't ask about it anymore.

'Che, the teme still has his trademark glare I see...' Naruto thought as he waited for Sasuke to answer him.

Sticking his tongue out, Naruto finally gave in and continued. "Well I thought since you like being around Hinata, you could spend time with her while were here. Its kinda boring for a kid right? And Hinata likes spending time with you." 'So she won't have to think about Gaara...' he thought.

Sasuke thought for a moment. Hinata liked being with him? He really liked being with Hinata. If Hinata liked bing with him, did that mean she wantd to always be with him?

Naruto was getting nervous. Sasuke seemed to be thinking about it a bit too much. If Sasuke didn't want to spend time with Hinata while they were in Suna, then his plan to keep Hinata occupied would fail.

"Naruto," Neji cut in. "Excuse me, I'm going with out you. Don't be out too late." The Hyuga prodigy rushed toward thier room. While h didn't like hte glance Itachi paid his cousin, he also was not to leave Itachi alone for too long. There was no telling what could happen.

Both Sasuke and Naruto watchd Neji dash off, slightly confused.

Turning back to Sasuke, Naruto asked again, "So you wouldn't mind being with Hinata? Right?"

Trying to suppress his blush, Sasuke lookd at the floor. "So...if Hinata-san likes me...and likes being with me...does that mean she'll be my mom?"

Naruto froze. What did Sasuke just say? Hinata? Mom? Hinata? Mom?!?!

"Eh, um yeah...sure..." Naruto stammered...at least Sasuke would stick with Hinata...

Neji was going to kill him.

- - -

"So, Hinata-sama, please tell me what the people of Konoha are like." Kiku asked as she poured some sake for her and Hinata to sip as they sat in the warm water.

"Eh, well, Konoha is...a family. We all work hard for each other and the village." Hinata said as she took a small sip of the offered drink. While she was not an avid drinker, spending time with Tenten and Kiba had taught her how to pace herself.

"I would have liked to see Konoha..." Kiku mused more to herself, yet Hinata heard her.

"Should you visit, you would be a welcome guest of Hyuga." Hinata politely offered.

"Ah. That will never happen. I'm the Kazekage's first wife. I'll never be allowed to leave the village again." She said with a hint of bitterness.

Hinata almost dropped her sake cup at that statement.

"Kiku-sama...do you not love Gaara?" Hinata nervously asked.

Kiku suppressed a snort at the question. "How could anyone love him? Could you?"

"I'm sorry for prying, Kiku-sama." Hinata sadly said.

"It's alright. But you know, I have heard rumors that Gaara love someone in Konoha...have you heard anything like that?" Kiku asked, hopefully for information.

"Well, Gaara is a dear friend to Konoha, and many people in Konoha are dear to him." Hinata said softly.

"But did he love anyone?" Kiku asked a bit too eagarly.

"What is going on! Did I give you permission to leave your room?" An angered voice bellowed.

Both women gasped as they turnd to the doorway to see an irate Gaara.

"Gaara-sama...I...Gaara...I was just entertaining a guest from Konoha..." Kiku nervously stammered.

The heat from the bath made the air hazy, so Gaara was unaware Kiku had a guest in the bath. 'Guest? A man?' He thought as his blood boiled.

"You dare bring a person here to see your body..." he dangerously spoke.

"I'm sorry...Gaara...Please don't be angry with her, I haven't had a chance to relax like this in a long time. She kindly offered and I accepted." a soft voice said.

As the mist cleared Gaara saw her clearly, a beautiful vision, a nymph from the water...

"Hinata..." he whispered.

His tone of voice and the way he looked at her, was all the proof Kiku needed...yes Gaara loved another. This Hyuga Hinata...


	14. Chapter 14

"Hyuga."

"Uchiha."

Together in the lounge room of the guest quarters Hyuga Neji and Uchiha Itachi sat in silence, occasionally inspecting the other, but otherwise occupied with their own thoughts.

Neji frowned. He did not like the slight interest Itachi seemed to have taken with Hinata, nor did like the fact Kiku had requested to be alone with Hinata. He should go check on her, but peeping on his cousin in the bath seemed very inappropriate. For now, he would hope that Hinata would be fine spending time with Gaara's wife.

Itachi frowned. Something was missing; he couldn't quite place his finger on it though. Of course, having holes in his memory didn't help, but he was certain that something very important was missing.

Suddenly he realized what was missing as his pupils dilulated slightly. What a wonderful father he was, to lose his own son.

Neji noticed the slight panic of the Uchiha and spoke. "Naruto has taking a liking to Sasuke, so he is showing the boy around Suna a bit."

Itachi grimaced. He wasn't sure what was worse, that he had misplaced his son, or that his son was spending time with that fool.

Neji inwardly grinned at Itachi's slight expressions. This would make the plan go more smoothly.

"Itachi-san, while Naruto is to be the next Hokage, would you agree he is an utter moron?" Neji spoke, putting the plan into action.

Itachi blinked in agreement, unsure where the Hyuga was going with this.

"Of course he means well, but it is quite certain Sasuke will learn some rather unsavory habits if he were to be around Naruto for extended periods of time."

Itachi made a face at the thought of Sasuke turning into a loud and annoying brat. One Naruto was hared enough to deal with, a second one that he had to live with would be unbearable.

"Of course we all will be busy with diplomacy so Sasuke will naturally become bored. And while I'm Hinata-sama's bodyguard, I would not be a good person to watch over Sasuke. I am not fond of children after all."

Itachi would actually have preferred Sasuke to learn from Neji, the strongest of the Hyuga. Itachi himself had little patience with teaching so he had not taught Sasuke as much as a father should have. He suspected he and Neji were similar in that manner.

"However, Hinata-sama loves children and though she is quite a skillful diplomat, I'm certain I will be handling most of those matters in Suna."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. He had not thought about the cultural differences between Suna and Konoha much. Of course while Hinata would be treated well for being the Hyuga heiress, most of the men would not value her opinion much based on the fact she was a woman, since woman did not lead in Suna.

"I see your point. Hinata could show Sasuke about diplomacy since she will have more free time while we are here. That would be the best way to handle Sasuke's boredom." Itachi stated.

"However," Neji spoke, getting to the hard part. "Hinata-sama will not actively do this, without your permission. She would not want to offend you or cause a scandal."

Itachi pondered those words. He personally did not want to ask Hinata to watch over Sasuke, but he did believe that Hinata would do everything she could to not offend anyone, or do things that would raise suspicious questions. If she were to take Sasuke around Suna too much, rumors could spread that the Hyuga were trying to take the Uchiha. But if Itachi requested she watch over Sasuke, then all speculation would cease.

"I see your point." Itachi said. Standing up, he turned to Neji, "If you would be so kind as to retrieve my son, I will request the aid of Hinata-san."

"Of course Itachi-san." Neji said as he suppressed a smile. His plan was working. Hinata would be distracted by Sasuke and she would not think much of Gaara or his wife.

Both men exited the room, taking off in opposite directions.

Neji had a relatively easy time in finding Naruto and Sasuke since with his Byakugan he found Naruto's unique chakra pattern.

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun." Neji said as he appeared next to the two.

"Ack! Neji don't scare me!" Naruto whined.

Neji twitched. "Naruto. You are a shinobi. You're supposed to be ready for an attack at any moment." Turning his gaze to Sasuke, he spoke, "Sasuke-kun, please come with me, you father has gone to ask Hinata-sama…"

"I know." Sasuke cut in.

Neji blinked in surprised while Naruto began to sweat.

"Naruto told me." Sasuke said with a small smile. His dad had gone to ask Hinata-san to be his mom! He was so excited; he wanted to head back right away.

"I see." Neji said as he glanced at Naruto. Neji frowned. Naruto looked…guilty of something.

"Ehhhehehe…let's head back, ne?" Naruto said as he felt the intense stare of Neji. 'I'm sooo dead.' He thought as he walked back to their rooms.

- - -

It was an awkward picture. The two women were in the water, covering their naked bodies with soaked towels as Gaara stood in the doorway staring blankly at the women. Though in truth he was not looking at the naked women, he was in actuality thinking about the whole situation. Kiku and Hinata…together…bathing. A slight blush formed on his cheeks and he pulled himself from his thoughts as he looked at the women again.

Hinata was beet red, embarrassed beyond belief. Gaara…he saw her in the bath! A married man...saw her in the bath!

Kiku was the exact opposite of Hinata. Instead of bright red, she was ashen pale. Gaara…was angry…at her! And he…he loved this pale eyed woman over her? Her world seemed to be crashing down around her as Gaara stood there. And this woman…actually loved Gaara? She loved such a monster? Kiku could not comprehend.

'She's blushing…' Gaara thought as his eyes strayed to Hinata. He loved her blush. 'And Kiku…she's pale…why are they...oh…' Gaara realized he was still standing in the doorway…of the women's bath.

"Excuse me." He said as he turned around. "We will discuss this later…and Hinata, I'm sorry." He spoke as he closed the gate behind him.

Itachi was not one to be interested in juicy gossip, but he could not help but wonder why the Kazekage was exiting the bath…where Kiku and Hinata supposedly where.

Pale jade eyes met with pitch black ones as Gaara and Itachi stared at each other.

"Uchiha…why are you here?"

"I have business with Hyuga-sama. And you?" Itachi questioned, his blood slightly uneasy at the fact Gaara came out of the bathing area.

"It is my home." Gaara said as he walked off.

Red swirled in black as Itachi tried to restrain his annoyance at another insult from the Kazekage.

- - - - -

**A.N.**

Oooo….and so it begins…I can't help but think Sasuke is so cute! I'm getting excited for what's coming!

though I feel bad for Gaara...in all my stories he's always so sad! I'm such a meanie!


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the wait. Now with more suds then an afternoon soap opera!**

**enjoy.**

- - - - -

The steamy water felt chilled as the two women sat in the uneasy silence of Gaara's departure.

Neither woman wanted to speak first, but neither could stand the silent torture as they sat near each other, each inspecting the other with new eyes.

After only a few minutes, which seemed like an eternity, Hinata braced herself to break the ice that had settled in the air.

However, much to her surprise, it was Kiku who spoke first.

"Hyuga-san…what is your relationship with Gaara?" Kiku pensively said.

Hinata noted the formal address and the fear in the woman's voice.

"He…is a dear friend." Hinata carefully said, uncertain where Kiku was heading with this.

"Only a friend?" Kiku asked in disbelief, and a sliver of hope? It could be true that Gaara loved this pale eyed woman. There was proof of that. But it could be true that this woman held no such affection for Gaara…it was not possible for anyone to love such a cruel man as Gaara…yet she called him a dear friend…

"Yes. Kiku-sama. Gaara is a dear friend, one that I love." Hinata said remembering that Kiku did not in fact love Gaara. In fact it seemed to Hinata that Kiku feared Gaara.

Kiku was at a loss for words. Love Gaara? How could someone love that man? And why did he love this woman?

Shaking, Kiku turned to face Hinata and said, "Gaara…looks at you…with affection."

Hinata lowered her eyes. Gaara was not hers. She could never have him, and he could never have her.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke, "If it were possible, I would love Gaara as a man, and he would love me as a woman. However," she glanced at Kiku, "we can never be more then friends. We never will be more then friends." Hinata said with conviction.

Hinata's heart broke at the confusion on Kiku's face. 'She doesn't understand him. And he's not letting her understand.'

Wrapping her arm around Kiku's shoulder, Hinata whispered, "He is not the person you think he is. He is not a monster. You will learn to love him, just give him time."

The tension finally released, both women silently wept as they comforted each other.

"Thank you, Hinata-san." Kiku mumbled as she sobbed.

'No, thank you Kiku-sama. I can trust Gaara's heart to you.' Hinata thought as she let her tears fall.

- - -

Itachi impatiently sat on a bench as he waited for Hinata. Honestly did it take women so long to bathe? Itachi had the strong urge to leave and forget about the whole matter; however, his pride would not let him give in. And it was nice to have some peace away from the annoying Hokage in training Naruto.

Twenty minutes later Itachi was seriously bored. He wondered if he could use his Sharingan to pass the time, though decided against it since he did not want to be accused on peeping in the bath. Of course Gaara had walked out of said bath earlier, so maybe no one would care. Yet he did not want to start any scandal or gossip.

Who was he kidding? Of course there was going to be gossip. Here he was sitting outside the bath of Gaara's wife. He looked like such a pervert.

"Uchiha." A chilled voice cut from behind Itachi.

Blinking, Itachi answered, "Kazekage-sama."

Gaara stared at the man as he contemplated his actions. Why did he call the Uchiha? 'To ask about her,' he thought to himself. True he could have asked Naruto, but his friend could be less then discreet, and her cousin did not seem eager to talk about the heiress to any male.

"Join me in my office." Gaara stated, rather then offered as he walked down the hall.

Itachi hesitated before he followed the Kazekage, uncertain what the sand nin wanted.

Entering his office, Itachi noted the messy array of papers and scrolls that were hastily shoved in a bin.

Gaara motioned for Itachi to sit as he pulled out a bottle of liquid from a drawer.

'Did all Kages hide their drinking?' Itachi could not help but think.

As if reading his thoughts, Gaara spoke. "It was a gift for the wedding, although it is too sweet for my usual taste."

As Gaara poured the liquid into two small cups, Itachi caught the scent of the beverage.

"Plum wine?" He said in surprise.

"Hn." Gaara murmured in acknowledgement as he handed a glass to Itachi.

Both men slowly drank the wine, slightly cringing at the sweet taste, but appreciating the light burn that traveled down their throats.

Itachi was still wondering why the Kazekage had called him here. It was unlikely that he merely wanted a drinking partner.

Pouring himself another glass, Gaara inspected the Uchiha. He knew little of how Konoha was handing the strange situation, but he knew that Hinata was working closely with the Uchihas. And he knew Itachi had seen them that day…when he had said goodbye.

Clearing his throat, Gaara took another sip of wine before he spoke.

"Is she well?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the question. She? Who? He had a suspicion Gaara was asking about Hinata, however ire sparked at the thought that this man, this married man pined for another woman. True it must be natural for Gaara, Suna practiced polygamy, but Itachi did not feel comfortable about his questions of the Hyuga.

"She seems healthy." He stated as he stared hard at the Kazekage.

"She does." Gaara sighed as a slight blush creeping to his face as he recalled the scene from the bath.

Eyes narrowed as Itachi noted the slight color on the Kazekage. Red swirled as he unconsciously activated the Sharingan.

"Excuse me, Kazekage-sama." He said as he abruptly stood up to exit the room.

Pain seared through his skull as he stood.

Composing himself enough to distance himself from the room, he cursed as he stumbled to a familiar bench.

_Why did his head hurt so!_

He didn't understand.

_Why did his head hurt?_

_And why…_

_Why couldn't he remember…_


	16. Chapter 16

The bath was filled with the idle chatter of the two women, who after having a good cry found out they indeed enjoyed each other's company. Naturally, both women were wary of each other, but Gaara aside they enjoyed being able to have a moment of fun, without the stress of their roles weighing down upon them. However, the sound of crashing furniture resounded throughout the air and both women hastily grabbed their robes to see what had happened, praying Gaara had not resorted to throwing things in annoyance.

Pale eyes widened as Hinata saw a jumbled mess of Itachi and a wooden bench. It looked as if the Uchiha had awkwardly fallen on said bench causing it to topple on the poor Konoha nin. Hinata would have giggled at the scene, had it not been for the pained look on Itachi's face. Hoping it was just due to his hurt pride and the bump from the bench, Hinata approached the Uchiha to help him up. However, when he did not acknowledge her presence, she began to worry. Activating the Byakugan, she saw a large amount of chakra gathered at the front of his skull and around his eyes.

"I didn't know you were such a lightweight, Uchiha-san" Gaara spoke as he walked to the scene.

"You were drinking?" Hinata nervously asked as she kept her eyes on Itachi.

"To pass the time. He has some business with you it seems." Gaara stared at Hinata as he spoke. It bothered him that she would not look at him, but he did not blame her either.

"Did…did anything else happen?" She asked as she tried to remove the bench from Itachi.

"Hnn…" Gaara frowned. She seemed too concerned with the Uchiha for his liking, but that was her nature, he shouldn't begrudge her nature to care for people, yet he couldn't shake the feeling there was something else spurring her questions.

"Please, Gaara, tell me what he was doing." Hinata finally turned her gaze to Gaara, pleading for him to comply with her eyes.

"Gaara, please, tell her." Kiku suddenly spoke up. Baby, steps, she had to take baby steps to talk with Gaara, but with Hinata there, she felt a bit safer, and she wanted to help the kind kuniochi.

Sighing in slight defeat, Gaara turned to walk away. "We drank, we talked, he got mad. That's what happened." He said. Pausing he spoke again, "He should control his bloodline limit and temper better, were he not from an allied country I would have thought he would try to harm the Kazekage."

Hinata's brow furrowed at the information. Tapping two points on his body to relieve the pressure from the chakra, she hit a third point to allow him to sleep for a bit. It was not a good sign for him to still be having trouble with the Sharingan. Hoisting his arm over her shoulder, Hinata was ready to bring him back to their quarters. Smiling slightly to Kiku, she said, "Thank you Kiku-sama for your help." Glancing in the direction Gaara had walked in she further said, "I hope things work out with you and Gaara."

Bowing her head, Kiku replied, "No, thank you Hinata-sama. I hope we can become close friends." Lifting her head, she asked, "Would you like some assistance?"

"I should be fine, thank you for the offer." Hinata said as she walked off with the unconscious Itachi.

Panting as she approached their rooms, Hinata groaned. Okay, maybe Itachi was a lot heavier then she thought, that or she was much weaker then she thought. A few feet from the rooms, she decided to just ask for help. Her back and arms and legs were dead tired.

"Neji-nisan…um, help!"

In a flash Neji opened his door, prepared to fight off anyone who dared to harm Hinata-sama, but paused as he saw her supporting and unconscious Itachi.

"Hinata-sama…what happened?" Neji asked with narrowed eyes. This was not part of the plan.

"He…had an accident."

A click told them someone else was up, and the Hyuga eyes turned to see a sleepy Sasuke who had woken up with all the noise.

Taking a moment to wake up enough to know what was going on, Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized he father was not standing on his own.

Panicked eyes looked at Hinata, as Sasuke clutched the door to hold himself up.

Whispering, Hinata spoke to Neji, "Take Itachi to his bed, I'll take care of Sasuke."

Neji nodded as he shouldered Itachi and began to drag him to his room.

"Sasuke-kun" Hinata said as she walked to the frightened boy, "It's okay, you father is just sleeping." She extended a hand to help ease the boy's fears. "Would you like to stay with me tonight?"

Sasuke nodded as he walked to Hinata. "Demo, Dad never sleeps around other people…"

"Ah…he was really, really tired!" Hinata said to try to calm the boy.

"Really?" Sasuke said with a skeptical look on his face.

"Ehhh…let's get ready for bed…" Hinata avoided the question. He was a bright boy, he no doubtedly would see through her white lies.

Climbing into bed, Sasuke couldn't help but feel excited. When Hinata becomes his mom would she always let him sleep with her when he was scared? He liked the idea, Hinata made him feel safe and warm. Inching closer to Hinata, Sasuke wanted to know if she was going to be him mom.

Hinata blushed in the dark. It was a bit strange having Sasuke in her bed and he was snuggling so close to her! She hoped Itachi would not be upset, but she didn't think it was a good idea for Sasuke to be in the same room as Itachi, especially if his symptoms got worse. But Sasuke was so cute; it was like having a little brother for her to watch over, even if his feet were really cold and he kept kicking her with them. Yawning, she was about to go to sleep when she heard Sasuke's voice.

"Anno…Hinata-san…"

"Yes Sasuke-kun?"

"Did…did my dad ask you?"

Ask her? Oh, yes, Gaara said Itachi had some business with her.

"No, he didn't have a chance to."

"Oh…"

"Do you know what he was going to ask me Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke blushed. It was a bit embarrassing to ask, but he wanted to know. And he figured it was okay for him to ask, since his father was going to ask her anyway.

"Uh huh…um…he…was going to ask you to…"

Sasuke snuggled closer to Hinata to calm himself. He hoped she would say yes.

Hinata blushed as Sasuke crept closer, as she anxiously waited to hear what Itachi was going to ask her.

"Be my mom."

- - - - -

**A.N.**

**As I've said in my profile...I don't know when I'll be doing updates since real life is getting too busy.**


	17. Chapter 17

_Be my mom…_

The words echoed through Hinata's head as all thoughts of sleep disappeared.

Sasuke, after breaking the news had not waited for her answer before falling asleep himself. The steady flow of his breathing was the only sound in the room, as Hinata stared wide eyed at the ceiling.

_Be my mom…_

Did that imply that Itachi wanted to marry her? But she barely knew the man! And he rarely had a kind word for her, in fact Hinata was certain the man disliked her, after all she had had to force him to do things that he was not happy about while he had been discharged from the hospital. Or maybe he was giving Sasuke away? Hinata knew it was hard for a single person to raise a child, and Itachi did want to go on many dangerous missions. Maybe he was looking out for his son in case he did not return?

Hinata frowned. She did not like where her thoughts were going. She felt it was a bit morbid to be thinking on Itachi's death.

Rolling over, Hinata looked at the sleeping Sasuke. He was so sweet looking when he was asleep. She still could not believe this was the once cold Avenger. That thought brought another to her mind. What if Itachi had started to remember things? Would he betray the village again?

Slowly, Hinata crept from her bed so not to wake Sasuke as she cautiously left her room. Using her Byakugan she saw that Naruto was fast asleep and Neji was sleeping, but alert for suspicious movement. She could get by Neji if she was very careful, turning her eyes to Itachi she saw he was asleep, but his chakra was flaring erradically.

Ghosting her way toward the bed, Hinata held her breath. His chakra was strong and oppressing and she felt very insecure being surrounded by it, despite the fact he was unconscious.

_It was red…everywhere he looked he saw red._

_His body felt heavy, as if he had been training all day._

_He didn't see a single soul, yet he was certain there should be people here._

_Lots of people._

_Yet, he wasn't quite sure where here was._

_Slowly walking, his legs felt like lead, he turned a corner._

_The Uchiha Fan._

_His eyes finally noticed the fan image on all the walls, windows, banners…_

_He was home._

_But why was it all red?_

_A muffled cry to his left urged him to walk on. In the distance he could see the gleam of a blade as he saw the fallen bodies of the Uchiha._

_That person…he…he had murdered his clan!_

_The red eyes of the murderer were all he could see as the blood from his clan soaked the road._

"_Stop it!" he yelled, only to receive a smirk from the killer._

_Running as hard as he could, he noticed the distance was not closing. "Wait!" he cried out as he reached his hand forward, only to pause as he saw his hand covered in blood._

Hinata cautiously placed a cool cloth on Itachi's forehead. His body was slightly above normal temperature and the restless tossing of his body told her he was lost in a nightmare. Sitting upon the edge of the bed, she wondered if she should wake him, but was startled as his hand reached up and grasped her arm.

Breathing hard and his heart pounding, Itachi slowly regained consciousness. 'What was…' the nightmare he had just experienced quickly escaped his mind, despite his desire to keep it to understand it. He clenched his hand, only to realize it was not empty. A pale arm, which was connected to a startled woman. 'Why is she here' he thought as the last images of the nightmare left him. Frowning, he attempted to sit up, only to have pain once again sear though his skull.

"Ah, you collapsed early so you should be careful." Her soft voice said. It grated on his nerves right now. How could she be like this all the time? "You were having a nightmare…" she mumbled only to gasp as his stare pierced though her.

"Why are you here?" He coldly said. He did not like being weak, nor did he like people seeing him weak. And this woman, she always saw him when he was at his weakest. It made his quite annoyed.

"Ah…" She blushed. He didn't seem to remember anything so she could rest assured for now about that. "Er…well I was told what you wanted to ask me…" She poked her fingers together, it was too embarrassing to think about let alone say.

"Hn." Itachi sneered, trying to remember what it was in the first place, ah yes, watching over Sasuke while in Suna. "Good. Your answer?"

Hinata blushed further "Well, I wanted to know…"

"You don't need to know anything else. It's pretty straightforward. A simple yes or no answer is all I need." Itachi interrupted.

Hinata stared at him. He was being so…distant about this. 'Maybe he's shy too?' She pondered.

Itachi sighed, she was acting strange. "Look if you don't want to then fine. I'll find someone else, it just Sasuke really likes you."

Sasuke…Hinata just couldn't break his heart, and he really did deserve a new life.

"No…I'll do it." Hinata said.

"Good. Now go to bed." Itachi said, she was so irritating, and his head just hurt too much.

"Ah, okay…um, Itachi-san…" Hinata nervously glanced at the man.

"What?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

"Does…this mean I'm your wife?"

- - - - -

**A.N.**

**eh...sorry for the wait...usual excuse too much to do, too little time to do it...**


	18. Chapter 18

_Does…this mean I'm your wife?"_

Itachi blinked in disbelief.

Did she just say that? The pressure in his head increased, but now for an entirely different reason. His tired eyes focused hard on the woman before him. This was too much trouble then it was worth.

"Could please repeat that." He asked, sorely hoping he had just heard wrong.

Hinata squirmed under his scrutiny, why was he looking at her like that? Did he change his mind? "Anno…I said…does this mean I'm your wife…" she stammered as her face heated with embarrassment. A wave of sadness came over her as well, this was not how she had imagined a marriage proposal to go, though it was slightly better then a pre-arranged marriage she supposed.

Itachi visibly frowned. What in the world would make her think that?

"Why?" he said, a little too harshly, he just could not understand where this was coming from.

"Errr…well if I'm going to do this…I want to do it right. The best for Sasuke and…" She blushed a bit further, this was so humiliating, "I don't want any rumors to be spread."

Itachi could only stare at her words. He never knew that she would take this so seriously. To be Sasuke's "nanny" she had to be his wife? He didn't see the logic. His eyes throbbed as he felt more exhausted. This was not helping him right now.

"I'll think it over, just leave. I'm tired." He said and turned away from her.

Hinata tried hard not to allow tears to well in her eyes. This was just wrong. Did she really want to marry this man? Could she marry this man just for Sasuke's sake? Perhaps she had not thought this out well.

With a sniffle Hinata excused herself. Unfortunately, Itachi's keen hearing caught said sniffle and he inwardly groaned. 'Damn it. She's crying now…ok I forgot she's a girl.' Marriage was important to girls right? Without turning to face her, he spoke "Hinata, just go to bed, I'm tired, my head is killing me. I can't think right. So we will talk in the morning. Okay?"

Her back stiffened when she heard him speak. Was he trying to be kind to her? She felt slightly encouraged by his words, and also she felt awful for forgetting he was not well and it was so very late. "I'm sorry, you're right…we'll talk in the morning. Goodnight Itachi-san." With that she hurried back to her room, only to find Sasuke had taken up the whole bed. She giggled at the sight. How could someone so small take up the whole bed? Her motherly instincts took over as she moved Sasuke into a proper sleeping position and wrapping a blanket about herself she sat by the bed as she allowed sleep to take her.  
- - - - -  
The first rays of dawn streamed through the widow of Itachi's room. His whole body was exhausted, he had hardly slept a wink all night, his mind had gone into over drive to try to understand her words. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, perhaps his throbbing head, or perhaps it was something else, but the more he thought about it the more he could "understand" her request. Though she was taking his request to the extreme. However, if this is what it took to get her to watch Sasuke, and true there would be rumors and true Sasuke could become overly attached to her, then he could consider it. But marriage…the single man in him cried out in protest at the prospect of getting "settled down." Besides, he barely knew her, despite he was more familiar with her then any other female. It just wasn't logically for a week or two of service to be chained to her for life. He supposed he could divorce her, but she was a clan's heiress, that would be suicidal to make enemies of the Hyuga. And the fact she was a Hyuga also made hi confused. Hyuga and Uchiha almost never married. He could only conclude that she had not thought this out well when she said that. He could only think of one alternative that he thought she would approve of that wouldn't be disastrous. With this thought in mind he made his way to her room, wanting to settle this as soon as possible.

He supposed he should have knocked first before entering a woman's room, but he highly doubted he would see anything indecent or improper. He was not expecting the sight currently before him however. A strange sensation swelled in his gut as he took in the scene of Hinata and Sasuke sleeping peacefully. She looked silly sleeping in a sitting position, yet the blanket wrapped around her made her look rather…cute? Annoyed with this train of thought Itachi turned his gaze to Sasuke, who was in a content dream. Itachi was about to wake Hinata, when he looked back at Sasuke. Sasuke was sleeping peacefully. Which meant he was NOT having a nightmare…for the first time since they were discharged from the hospital. This bit of information made Itachi slightly more at ease with his decision.

"Hinata." He spoke in a low voice so as not to wake Sasuke. Slowly the pale eyed woman blinked as she was drawn from her slumber. Rubbing the weariness from her eyes, she gasped when she saw Itachi sitting before her. "Uh…Ohayo Itachi-san…" she softly said.

Itachi regarded the sleepy woman before him. Part of him could not believe she was the Hyuga Heiress. What Heiress would allow someone to see her looking so…comfortable? And the way he had not hid his presence to enter his room…her shinobi skills seemed to be lacking. Or did she really feel safe in the room of another village? She was too trusting and naïve, further proof that she had not thought out her words last night. She was fortunate he was able to "save" her from her naiveté. "I'm thought about your words last night…" Itachi spoke, capturing her attention immediately, "And while I can understand your concerns, I do not think it prudent to marry immediately." Hinata flushed and paled, (was that even possible?) but he had asked her! Well not really, but he was going to ask her right? "So I think," Itachi continued, "That we will begin the courting ritual, which should satisfy your concerns and anyone else's concerns."

Hinata blinked. "So that means…"

"Yes." Itachi cut her off. "We're now dating."

- - - - -

**A.N.**

**I had thought of various ways Itachi would react...but this one seeemed most interesting.**

**3 months till my wedding...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I need more time to get things ready!!!!!!!**


	19. Chapter 19

Hinata stared out into space as she sat in a booth with Sasuke. The morning had been…interesting to say the least.

"_We're now dating." _

Hinata blushed as she remembered those words. She had never had a boyfriend before; the only man she had been romantically close to was Gaara since her crush on Naruto never came of anything. But now she was dating Uchiha Itachi. True it wasn't the best start to their relationship, but he was right, before they got married and she really became Sasuke's mother, she should get to know them better.

"Ne, Hinata-san…" Sasuke's voice drew her attention. "Can I have this for lunch?" He asked as he pointed to a large sundae on the menu, his eyes wide and begging as his lower lip quivered.

Hinata looked at the look Sasuke was giving her. True he was utter adorable, but she knew this trick well. After all she still used it on Neji to get her way half the time. "If you eat this," she said while pointing to a healthy dish on the menu, "We can order that."

Sasuke pouted for a moment. That dish was full of vegetables! Though when he had eaten the vegetables that Hinata made, they were okay, but he was certain these would be gross. After thinking a moment he looked back at Hinata, "So if I eat that, we can share the sundae?" He asked with a slight blush on his cheeks.

Hinata nodded, and Sasuke gave a small smile, Hinata really did feel like a mom. He was so happy she was going to be his mom. Although he still didn't understand this "dating" thing her dad and she were doing, all he knew was it meant she was going to be his mom soon. He was so excited, though Hinata's scary cousin didn't seem excited. At least Naruto seemed excited about it. Naruto had hit his dad on the back really hard, which he heard some people do when they are happy. He didn't get it. His dad didn't look happy that Naruto hit him.

Hinata smiled as she watched Sasuke. He was so CUTE! She wished she really was his mother so she could see that cute face smiling everyday. Looking around the restaurant she still couldn't help but feel giddy. She had a boyfriend! True, Neji was rather upset when he found out this morning that she and Itachi were dating, and Naruto had a funny look on his face, almost like he was caught red-handed at something, but at least he congratulated her and Itachi. Though she was certain Itachi didn't like the manner of the congratulations. Naruto could hit really hard. Hinata sighed wistfully, wondering if she and Itachi would be able to have a date while in Suna. He would be busy being politically social, though thankfully Neji could take care of that for her so she could spend some time with Sasuke.

"Hinata-sama?" A surprised voice spoke from behind.

Turning around Hinata was surprised to see Kiku AND Gaara.

"Kiku-sama! Gaara-sama! What are you doing here? Please join us." She warmly offered which they both accepted and sat down.

"I told you to call me Gaara." Gaara said as he intently looked at Hinata.

"Ah, gomen Gaara, it's just I'm trying to show Sasuke all the titles of people here as well." Hinata said as she blushed.

Both Kiku and Gaara looked at the boy who seemed a bit frightened of Gaara's intense stare. Nervously, Sasuke gripped Hinata's sleeve. "Its okay, Sasuke," Hinata said as she smiled, "They are dear friends of mine."

Slowly, Sasuke let go of Hinata's sleeve. Gaara-sama had a scary look, like Hinata's cousin Neji. Maybe Hinata liked people with scary looks? If that were true then Sasuke was confident Hinata would like his dad even more. His dad had a super scary look sometimes.

Gaara blinked before speaking, "Why?" He asked as he looked at Sasuke.

"Eh?" Hinata said confused. "Oh, well his father is busy most of the day so…"

"But why you?" Gaarra interrupted.

"Ah…well you see…" Hinata flushed. She wasn't ready to tell Gaara. She wasn't sure if Gaara had fully let go of her.

"She's going to be my mom." Sasuke boldly said. Hinata seemed uncomfortable and he wanted to help her.

The three adults stared in shock for a moment. All three thinking:

_Did Sasuke just say that?_

Gaara was the first to recover, his eyes becoming hard. "Is that true?"

Kiku and Hinata nervously glanced at each other, both recognizing the dangerous tone of voice from Gaara.

Hinata stammered, "Well, not quite, you um see…"

Gaara frowned. She was hiding something. Turning his gaze to Sasuke he asked, "Is that true Sasuke?"

Sasuke gulped. Gaara was almost as scary as his dad! Gathering his courage she shakily spoke, "Anno…well Hinata-san said she'd be my mom, but right now Hinata-san and my dad are dating before she becomes my mom."

Dating? Gaara couldn't believe it. Hinata…HIS Hinata was dating another man?

Abruptly, Gaara stod up, his sand swirled about him as he stormed out of the restaurant.

Hinata worriedly looked at Gaara and began to go after him, but was stopped by Kiku.

Sad pearl eyes looked at Gaara's wife. "Kiku-sama…I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…" Hinata said as her tears began to fall.

"Shhhh…" Kiku soothed. "It's alright. He needs to let go, he's just not ready yet." She said she rubbed Hinata's back as she embraced the woman. "But," Kiku said as she pulled away, "I'm happy you found someone for yourself. Congratulations." She warmly said.

Wiping her eyes, Hinata gratefully looked at the woman before her. Odd, just last night they were in different positions. Hinata was certain Kiku would be good for Gaara if he gave her the chance.

"Thank you Kiku-sama. It means a lot to me." Hinata said as she offered a small smile. "You should go to Gaara. He needs someone right now."

Kiku nodded, though fear was still in her eyes. She was still afraid of him, but at least she was trying.

Turning back to the table, Hinata slightly panicked when she did not see Sasuke. Activating the Byakugan she saw him cowering under the table obviously frightened by the unrestrained out pouring of Gaara's angry chakra.

Crawling under the table, Hinata tried to calm the boy, but was surprised when he thrust himself to her and cried.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I'm sorry!" He cried to her. "Please…don't leave me. Don't hate me…" he sobbed.

Hinata's heart broke at hearing his words. Was he so afraid to be alone? "It's alright. I'm not going anywhere. I don't hate you. It's alright." She soothed as she stroked his hair.

Sniffling, Sasuke cautiously looked at Hinata with water eyes. "Really?" He questioned.

"Really." Hinata smiled. "Now why don't we get that sundae?" She said, happy to see his face brighten up immediately.

- - -

Itachi inwardly sighed. He hated being social, and being around this many "annoying" people was graving his nerves down. If he had to give one more fake friendly greeting he felt he would snap. Spying a free chair, he sat down, his back happy to get some relief. Did Naruto really have to hit him that hard this morning? He had freakish strength in the morning. 'This morning, huh.' This morning was interesting for Itachi. He got a girlfriend…his first girlfriend that he could remember. True it was just for appearance in Suna while she watched Sasuke, but it wasstil strange. He would have to do some "boyfriend" stuff to make it believable. Even if it would just be ended when they got back to Konoha. At least it wasn't permanent like marriage. Itachi still couldn't believe she had thought they had to do that.

"Uchiha-san. Could I have a word with you?" A cold voice spoke.

Glancing up Itachi was met with pale eyes. "What for, Hyuga-san?"

"I think we need to discuss Hinata-sama." He said as he turned and walked away, knowing the Uchiha would follow.

Alone in a room, Neji's voice hardened, "This isn't what we discussed. I will NOT have you playing with her feelings." He harshly said.

Itachi blinked. "Well this is her fault. She said we had to get married."

Neji frowned. "I don't believe you. You must have twisted your words to get her to date you. But know this, Uchiha Itachi, Hinata-sama truly believes that you two are dating. You will NOT break her heart."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. He knew that Neji knew his cousin better then anyone, and if he said she thought they were really dating, then she must really think so. However, Itachi was not about to stay in a pointless relationship with a dumb girl.

"She brought this upon herself, I don't care about her feelings." Itachi said.

Byakugan activated, Neji slammed Itachi against a wall. "You break her heart, and I will personally break you." Releasing Itachi, Neji stormed out of the room.

Red eyes swirled in anger. This was definitely too much trouble then it was worth. Though he was confident he could fend of Hyuga Neji, he did not think it wise to anger the whole Hyuga clan. "So I just have to make her dislike me then her stupid feelings won't get hurt, right?" he bitterly muttered to himself.

- - - - -

**A.N.**

**bah spoiling you all by updating two days in a row. hehe.**

**I wonder what will happen...lol**


	20. Chapter 20

Annoying. It was the only word that could describe the whole situation. Annoyed, Itachi jumped from roof top to roof top looking for Sasuke and Hinata. A deep growl grew in the back on his throat as he thought of the Hyuga girl. _He_ was supposed to be concerned with _her_ feelings? How utterly annoying. Red swirled in his eyes as he tried to recall how this all started in the first place, however, a sharp pain in his head caused him to mis-step as he landed rather hard on a restaurant roof. Again, the only word that came to mind was _annoying_. Taking deep breaths he jumped down to the street and entered the restaurant. A cold glass of water was what he needed. And maybe massive amounts of painkillers, though he was certain they would not have that there. The pain in his head grew worse as he saw Sasuke eating a sundae...with Hinata. He had to admit Sasuke looked very happy with the girl, but Sasuke would have to learn that life can be full of disappointments. Taking another deep breath Itachi decided to start working on Hinata. Hopefully she would instantly hate him and make his life so much easier.

Hinata looked up and was shocked to see a very pale Itachi walking towards her. The beads of sweat that had gathered on his forehead and his heavy breathing, made Hinata very concerned, especially as he got closer and she could see the faint swirling of the Sharigan in his eyes.

"Hinata...Sasuke..we need to..." Itachi gasped out as he stood before the booth, but was cut off as he felt an odd feeling from his nose.

"Itachi!" Hinata said as she rushed out of her seat and grabbed a napkin. This was bad, Itachi's nose had started to bleed...a lot.

Murmers from other restaurant patons started to reach Hinata's ears and glancing at a very frightened Sasuke she knew that she had to get him out of there.

Activating the Byakugan, Hinata looked for the quickest route to the hospital, though through her vision she saw an immense amount of chakra gathered behind Itachi's eyes. Hinata's eyes widened as she saw Itachi's body sway, and then collapse on the floor.

The only word that came out of Itachi's mouth as he fell was "annoying."

- - - - -

**hmm...super short...but I wasn't planning on writing for this anyway, but with the new year a snippet came out. Not sure when or if I'll update this again (especially since I'm not quite sure what i was doing with this...), but I'm slowly getting back into writing mode. well I'll see how long it lasts.**

**Happy New Year!**


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